Youthful Intuition
by Nikki Bryn
Summary: Xena and Gabrielle take under their wing a troubled young Amazon.
1. Trust and Betrayal

1 Youthful Intuition  
  
1.1 Chapter 1—Paradise Lost  
  
Xena reined Argo and looked at Gabrielle, her breaths coming out in small puffs of steam as she waited for the bard to catch up. "I'm telling you, there's no way this is going to work, Gab," called the warrior, looking at her sundial.  
  
Gabrielle trotted up next to her warrior, also stopping her horse with, but with more than some effort. "Just because I haven't exactly got this horse- thing down doesn't mean it won't work, Xena."  
  
The warrior scoffed indignantly. "We've been set back three days from our travels. Now, I know Varia isn't going to like this and an Amazon scorned is—"  
  
"That's Queen Varia to you, lady," said a voice from the trees. "And don't degrade Amazons that hold grudges."  
  
Gabrielle looked up into the playful young face of Varia. "Hello there! We hear you have a warrior for us to meet."  
  
Varia lowered herself halfway down the tree she was perched in…upside down. "Not just meet. I want you to see if you can beat her in sparring, Xena," said the queen with a grin.  
  
Xena raised an eyebrow. "You think she'll beat me? How old is this warrior?" she asked, craning her neck so that Varia wasn't upside down anymore.  
  
The Amazon dropped from the tree with an audible grunt. "She's fourteen, o Slayer of Gods."  
  
  
  
"Fourteen? What kind of joke is this?" boomed Xena as she paced in Varia's quarters. "You're saying you want me to go out there and try to beat the crap out of a child? I know I beat your ass, but this is just--"  
  
"She's not a child," argued Varia. "She's been made an outcast by her age- mates, but girls that are a good three or four years older than the girl accept her without a second thought."  
  
"What's her name?" asked Xena, rubbing her face with her hands.  
  
"Her name's Lydia. She came to us from a traveling merchant who found her abandoned on the side of the road."  
  
Xena shook her head. "I'll ask Gabrielle what she thinks. And please don't surround our hut with guards like you did last time."  
  
The Amazon chuckled. "They still haven't recovered from the sounds at night coming from inside."  
  
Xena growled something unintelligible and exited the queen's hut.  
  
  
  
"Hey! Hey, Xena!" called a voice as the warrior walked towards her and Gabrielle's hut.  
  
Xena turned around and saw…the top of someone's head. She looked down and saw a girl no taller than Gabrielle. "Um, who are you?" asked Xena.  
  
The adolescent was at least an inch shorter than Gabrielle, with dark brown hair and eyes to match. Her facial features represented that of a woman from Japa, but her skin was too light and her eyes didn't have quite the right shape. In her hand she had a long, black metal staff with four feathers hanging off the end. She wore a dark brown leather tube-top with a skirt that matched Varia's and knee-high traveling boots. She also had a ring on her navel.  
  
"My name is Lydia. I want that sparring match with you and you better not be a coward and back out of it," said the Amazon defiantly. "I know where you live." She turned and walked away with her head held high.  
  
The warrior stuck her tongue in her cheek. Riiiight… let's just see what this girl thinks she can do, thought to herself. She then picked up a clod of dirt and hurled it at Lydia.  
  
At first it seemed like the girl was going to get hit in the back of the head with the clod, but at the last moment she turned around and hit the dirt with her staff. It went flying back and hit… Xena.  
  
Square in the face.  
  
Xena counted to one hundred forwards and backwards before wiping the dirt from her eyes and looking around. "She's gonna get it. Ooh, she's asking for it," muttered the warrior as she stomped off toward her hut.  
  
  
  
Lydia laughed and gave a high-five to her friends. "She asked for it and she got it!" said the girl, clasping wrists with her best friend, Ling. "I knew the Warrior Princess's ego would make her pull a stunt like that."  
  
"You are so gonna get it, Lydia," warned one of her other friends, Tavi. Some of the others nodded in agreement.  
  
"Tavi, Tavi, Tavi, do you remember the beating I gave our dear queen a few weeks back? I don't think Xena's gonna be that much harder to throttle, given her temperament. She only, what, killed all the Olympian gods? Like it'll be hard to beat her," said Lydia as she sat at a table in their house, the House of the High Sun. "The Olympians were wimps."  
  
"You underestimate our visitor, slut," said a voice from the door.  
  
Lydia rolled her eyes and turned around. "Gina, how nice to see you. I was wondering just when you'd keel over and die. Could you give us an exact date so we can schedule a celebration?"  
  
There was a chorus of 'oohs' from Lydia's circle of friends.  
  
Gina shifted her weight uncomfortably, her friends glaring at Lydia's. "Well, little, and I do mean little, Miss I'm-Just-Asking-For-It, how about we make a wager? You seem cocky enough to want to make bets."  
  
Lydia motioned her friends to make room for Gina to enter. She gestured to a chair and Gina sat, the two ring-leaders positively glaring knives at each other. "What kind of wager would this be?" asked the shorter girl in half-hearted interest. She played with a dark lock of her short hair.  
  
"Two hundred dinars of collection money from other bets around the village. You win, you get the money. You lose, we get the money. We've taken up bets and this is all we can spare."  
  
"You mean people actually trust you with their money, Gina?" asked Lydia sarcastically. "You must've made quite a profit…but to make things a little more interesting, add in three months of free chores and we have a deal." She looked to her friends for support, which they gave gleefully. Two hundred dinars and three months of no work was just too much to pass up.  
  
Gina thoughtfully fingered her skimpy leathers. "Deal." They shook hands, squeezing each other's knuckles a little harder than called for.  
  
"And Gina, if I ever catch your ugly mug in my House again, I'll kill ya," said Lydia with a teasing wave. "You shouldn't be hanging out the older Amazons, anyway. Buh-bye, yeah."  
  
The taller girl snarled at her, but left without protest.  
  
"She is so gonna slit your throat!" said Jessie, Lydia's tallest friend and eldest girl in the House of the High Sun. They clasped forearms and began squealing in anticipation.  
  
  
  
Xena stormed into her and Gabrielle's hut, right past the bard, and into the bathroom, angrily slamming the door behind her with a loud 'BOOM!'. The bard furrowed her brow, then set down her tea. "Xena?" she called, going over to the bathroom door and knocking on it a few times. "Xe, you okay? And why're you covered in dirt?"  
  
"Teenagers! No respect for their elders! I'm glad we missed that part of Eve's life!" boomed the warrior as she poured water for her bath. "How does Varia stand it?"  
  
"Um, Xena, Varia's only nineteen. So, technically, she's a teenager, too," reminded Gabrielle as she rattled the doorknob. "Open the door."  
  
Xena angrily threw the door open, then stomped back over to her bath. "Varia is twenty-three, o inaccurate one," pointed out the warrior.  
  
"I knew that."  
  
"What's the youth coming to these days? I never threw dirt in the faces of my elders!"  
  
"No, you just killed them."  
  
The warrior stopped her ranting for a moment. "Okay, bad example, but I know for a fact that you never disobeyed your elders, Gabrielle!" she said, slipping into the water.  
  
Gabrielle chuckled and moved behind her warrior. "Just calm down, Xe. If you really want to teach her a lesson then why not have this sparring match? Humiliation is the best way to break a bad attitude." She began to rub the warrior's shoulders. "I know that first hand."  
  
"Mm, that would be a good idea, but from what Varia says, I think she's really good. What if I'm the one who gets humiliated instead of her?"  
  
"Well… you could always wear a papyrus bag over your head every time we come here," teased the bard.  
  
"Hardy-har-har…But I can't turn down a fight. I'm a warrior, and I don't like running away from a fight. Not to mention she called me a coward," said Xena in a matter-of-factly tone. "So after this I'm gonna go tell Varia that…I accept Lydia's challenge!"  
  
Gabrielle smiled. "I love it when you get all worked up like this," said the bard, lightly kissing her warrior on the lips.  
  
  
  
Dinars were going from side to side the entire day as the Amazons prepared for the big battle, which would be their dinner entertainment that evening. The younger girls were assigned to gathering wood for the giant bonfire they would have, while the older girls were set to the task of babysitting the toddlers and infants. Many of the teenage Amazons whom were not needed for babysitting were setting up tables and chairs, while the women and elders of the village cooked the feast.  
  
"I can't believe you're actually doing this," said Ling as she held up a piece of wood so Lydia could nail it to another piece, which Rita was holding.  
  
"Why not? It's just another challenge. Give me a bigger hammer," said Lydia, holding out her hand. She was lying on her back, looking up at the two slabs of wood she was putting together.  
  
"Because she's the best warrior in all of Greece, Thrace, Macedonia, Rome, Sparta, Indus, Crete, Chin, Japa, and--"  
  
"Okay, I get your point, Ling," interrupted Lydia. She craned her neck to look at Rita, who was fishing around for a hammer. "Is it in there?"  
  
"Yeah, here," replied the red-headed girl as she handed it to Lydia. Rita was the 'beauty queen' of the House of the High Sun, always worried about breaking her nails and messing up her curly strawberry blonde hair.  
  
"Thanks…but really, Ling, I don't think you should worry. What's she gonna do, kill me?"  
  
"No, I just really don't want double chore duty!" protested Ling. "And two hundred dinars is enough to buy us all our own personal huts!"  
  
BOOM! Lydia hammered the nail into the wood. "Well, if I lose-" BOOM! "- I'll make it up to all of you. I have the favor of the queen, and who knows what I can get." BOOM!  
  
"You better not lose, for the sake of our pride!" said Rita, handing her friend a nail.  
  
  
  
"If she loses, you'll really gain respect," said Gabrielle as she stirred some beef stew.  
  
Xena grunted in reply as she cut some bread into slices. At Gabrielle's request, the warrior had been forbidden to cook, for fear she would poison and kill the entire village. "Why am I doing this? I should be trying to work off some of this tension," the warrior said impatiently.  
  
Gabrielle chuckled as she watched Xena chop the bread. "Um, I think you're handling that pretty well by creating bread crumbs."  
  
The warrior looked down at the bread, which had been cut into little tiny pieces, and chuckled nervously. "How come this is bothering me so much? She's just another adversary."  
  
"Who happens to be forty-six years younger than you, Xe," reminded the bard.  
  
"Oh, you make me sound old," protested Xena, picking up a new loaf of bread.  
  
"Just in years. You're still the same old warrior you were…twenty-seven years ago," said Gabrielle with a chuckle and a shake of her head. That sounded too weird.  
  
Xena sighed in defeat as she pushed away her current loaf of bread and got a new one. "What if I lose?" she asked in an uncertain tone.  
  
Gabrielle laughed. "Pray for the sake of your reputation that you don't."  
  
  
  
Lydia rolled her shoulders as she paced back and forth in front of her bunk. She moved her arms back and forth to stretch them out. "I can do this, I can do this. She's just another challenge, nothing out of the ordinary," said the girl to herself as finished stretching.  
  
"Hey, Ly'," said a voice from the door.  
  
Lydia looked up as she began to wrap her wrists and knuckles with shredded fabric. "Oh, hey Ling. Anticipation too much for ya?"  
  
The other girl laughed but shook her head. "No. Just come to with you good luck. Not every day my best friend takes on the greatest warrior in the world." She took a seat next to her friend.  
  
"Well, Queen Varia said her ego needed a good throttling, so I guess I'll do it. I know Varia can't, she's already lost to Xena like three times. Hand me that?"  
  
Ling picked up another roll of fabric and handed it to Lydia. "Are you sure you want to do this? Your age-mates will only find another way to humiliate you even if you win."  
  
"Yes, but my age-mates are bitches. That's why I moved into this House," said Lydia as she tied off the wrapping on her wrists. "They didn't except me because I'm different, and you know how it feels."  
  
"True…but anyway, if you lose I'll throttle you myself," warned Ling as she hugged the shorter girl.  
  
Lydia laughed as she hugged her back. "Yeah, yeah, yeah…"  
  
  
  
Xena rolled her head on her shoulders a few times before standing up and accepting a staff from the Amazon Royal Guards assigned to her. "Let's do this," said the warrior solemnly as she went out into the village square.  
  
All the Amazons were seated in a giant semi-circle around an arena. They had tables that were curved to fit more women into less room. In the front, the Amazons were sitting on their butts or laying flat on their stomachs. In the back, they were sitting on stools that were at least four feet high so that no one was robbed of a good view. Their food was already set out, but no one was allowed to eat until the queen said they could begin.  
  
When Xena stepped out of her hut, the indistinct chatter that had been going on dissipated. It was totally silent as she made her way into the middle of the arena. Her blue eyes scanned the audience and finally found who she was looking for: Gabrielle. The warrior winked at her bard and twirled her staff skillfully.  
  
Gabrielle took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. "It's just a fight… it's just another fight from an ambitious teenager…" the bard reminded herself. She's gonna regret this in the morning.  
  
Xena considered the silence for a moment. Was this respect? Was this anticipation? Was this fear? Could it even be sympathy? She gulped down the lump in her throat. Maybe this Lydia girl— The warrior froze. Speak of the devil…  
  
Lydia exited the House of the High Sun and a loud cheer broke out from the Amazons. The girl grinned as the entered the arena, obviously enjoying the attention she was getting. Xena looked over at a particular group of girls, who were standing on their chairs and screaming louder than anyone else. Then there was that group of girls who were simply scowling.  
  
"You ready for this, Xena?" asked Lydia, turning to the tall woman.  
  
"I was born ready," replied the warrior out of the side of her mouth.  
  
Varia stood and the cheering stopped, minus a small "GO GIRL!" that came out after everyone had silenced, which elicited laughter from some of the older Amazons. The Amazon Queen simply grinned and shook her head. "Raise the walls!" she commanded.  
  
Xena turned around in circles as a glass-like wall began to surround the arena. She touched it as it went up and felt its unusually smooth texture. "What is that?"  
  
"It's a miracle substance made from mixing oil with several other things. Most of my physicians call it 'plastic'," replied the Queen with a smile. "But to the task at hand. Amazons! Today we witness the match between Lydia, the best staffswoman I have ever seen, and Xena: Warrior Princess, perhaps the most powerful warrior in the world. Begin your feast…and let the games begin!"  
  
A murmur arose throughout the crowd as Xena turned to face Lydia. "Do they expect this match to last that long?"  
  
Lydia simply replied, "They expect to be spitting food for all the cheering they're gonna do."  
  
Tavi stepped up to the glass. "Let's keep it clean, ladies…no wanton bloodshed, no hair-pulling, no spitting, and no foul hits. Warriors, set!" She waited for Xena and Lydia to get into their battle stances.  
  
Xena looked into Lydia's eyes solemnly. The girl simply winked back.  
  
"Warriors…begin!"  
  
More cheering started, half the audience yelling "Xe-na! Xe-na! Xe-na!" and the other half yelling "Ly-di-a! Ly-di-a!"  
  
Xena lashed out at Lydia, their staffs coming together with a loud 'boom!'. The warrior looked down at the staffs and realized that they both were made of metal. "Oh, this is gonna hurt," she said to no one in particular.  
  
Lydia pushed her adversary away, knocking Xena to the ground. "What? No tolerance for pain?" asked the girl as she began to try and stomp on the older woman's fingers.  
  
"No fair!" yelled Xena as she jumped up, staff grasped tightly in her left hand. She swung for the adolescent's feet, but Lydia vaulted into the air and landed behind Xena. The young girl chuckled, then delivered a blow to Xena's shoulder guards that sent her toppling to the ground.  
  
"Come on, Xena, get off the ground!" said Lydia, her excitement growing. She once again tried to stomp on the older warrior's fingers, but only succeeded in squishing the sand beneath her feet. Xena tried to hit Lydia's midsection, but failed as Lydia flipped out of the way.  
  
"You're beginning to get on my nerves, Girlie," hissed Xena as she chased after Lydia. She swung her staff out. Lydia turned around as she jumped, sailing through the air backwards as she blocked Xena's staff. The clang from the collision of their staffs echoed off the walls.  
  
Gabrielle crumbled her bread between her fingers over and over again.  
  
"Nervous?"  
  
The bard jumped at Varia's voice. "No. No, I'm not nervous. Why would you ask if that? I know Xena will win. She always does. So why should I be nervous? I can't believe you can even ask if I'm nervous. I'm not. I promise, I'm not nervous."  
  
Varia eyed her fellow queen with a chuckle. "Whatever you say, Gabrielle."  
  
Xena held her staff horizontal as Lydia's came down on hers vertical. They locked eyes in that position, deep brown meeting fiery blue. For a moment Xena thought she saw a flash of pain, then those brown eyes only showed battle lust. Lydia was the first to recover from the stare, throwing Xena down to the floor with one strong shove.  
  
The warrior quickly rolled out of the way before her young opponent could pounce. She turned around and gave Lydia a hard knock to her jaw, sending the girl spiraling to the ground.  
  
Lydia flipped her hair out of her face and touched a hand to her busted lip. "That's gonna bruise," she said to herself as she jumped to her feet. She wiped her blood on her dark leathers and ran at her opponent.  
  
Xena ducked Lydia's staff and hit the girl again, this time with her fist across the cheek and eye, which sent Lydia once again sprawling on the floor. What she didn't expect was for the girl to recover so quickly from her hit. Lydia vaulted to her feet and looked at Xena with a snarl.  
  
"You gonna be okay?" asked the warrior.  
  
"Just fine, thanks." She dodged Xena's staff. "Can't you catch me, Xena?" said the girl, dodging swing after swing.  
  
Xena was amazed at this girl's agility. Lydia seemed to be using godly powers as she moved from one spot to another with lightning speed. The older warrior tried with all her might to hit the girl, then came up with an idea. She faked left and drove right, directly at Lydia. The girl turned and ran up the wall to prevent getting tackled. Her feet swallowed up the air and she flipped behind Xena. With one hard swipe, she sent Xena to the ground.  
  
"Getting old, Xena?"  
  
"Nope." Xena began a contest of speed with the girl, running in circles around the arena. They went faster and faster until Lydia did something Xena had only seen once before. Lydia hurled herself into the wall and began to run across it, literally. Her head hanging parallel with the floor, she began to circle Xena, running with her fingers scraping the wall. She picked up breathtaking speed, then, when she had Xena dizzy, she pounced.  
  
"Oof!" said Xena as she went down.  
  
Lydia poked her staff into Xena's neck, right where she could feel the blood surging under the skin.  
  
"Submit."  
  
Xena, seeing as this was a lose-lose situation for her, reluctantly said, "I submit."  
  
Instead of the cheer Xena was expecting to hear, it was totally silent. The tall warrior looked around at the gaping mouths of the Amazons. But, as they all looked at her, she didn't feel any shame. She felt wonderful! What a battle!  
  
Lydia gave Xena a hand up. Xena stared at the girl's callused fingers and at the dark scar, shaped like a half-moon, on her palm. Shaking her curiosity from her head, she accepted Lydia's hand.  
  
Now the cheers began, but not all of them were for Lydia. Women were cheering for Xena as well for being so gracious as to accept this challenge, even though she lost. The goblets and platters on the table positively shook with the booming applause, seemingly as loud as thunder.  
  
Lydia pulled Xena to her feet with a grin. "That was fun. Shall we do it again some time?" she asked as they clasped wrists.  
  
Xena laughed and patted the girl on the back as the walls were lowered and they exited the sandy arena. "I'm not so sure about that, Lydia. Gabrielle's gonna have my hide as it is," said the warrior as she limped over to her bard.  
  
Gabrielle was positively fuming, hands on hips and steam billowing from her ears. The green-eyed monster was baaaaaack. "Xena! You hit her?! She's just a girl for crying out loud! You don't have a scratch on you!"  
  
Xena rolled her eyes as she accepted a mug of water. "All this nagging. I lost, Gabrielle!"  
  
"Yeah…and just when I thought I couldn't love you anymore I do," said the bard, hugging her warrior close. "I seriously thought you were going not accept her hand, but how could I think that?"  
  
The warrior laughed and kissed Gabrielle's head. "Too much time around the baddies, that's what it is."  
  
  
  
Later that night, Xena heard sounds coming from the training area. She disentangled herself from Gabrielle's arms and legs and stood. The bard moaned in protest, but Xena quickly gave her a pillow to hug as a substitute for the time being.  
  
She pulled on a tunic and trousers then headed out towards the training field.  
  
  
  
WHAM! Lydia gave the punching bag one good kick then continued her assault of quick, fast swings. One, two, three…one two three…she thought silently to herself. Xena stopped at the fence and watched Lydia beat the beans out of the training bag. Lydia finished with one last jump kick, lifting her body three feet off the ground as she kicked the bag so hard it broke from its ropes and hit the ground with a loud 'thud'. Dust blew out from the ends of it, filling the air and making Lydia cough a few times. "Ah, damn it."  
  
Xena began to clap slowly as she approached the girl. "Good job. Never quite seen it done that way, but it was good," said the warrior as she stopped walking.  
  
The girl wiped the side of her face with the back of her hand before picking up the now-half-empty punching bag. "That…was not supposed to happen," she said, holding it up and examining it carefully.  
  
"Oh really? Well, judging by the force of that kick I'd say I'd hate to be the sand inside that thing," said Xena with a chuckle. "Where'd you learn to train like that?"  
  
"Traveling mercenary came through here two years ago. He was captured and held in prison to await Queen Margot's decision on his life. I was set to guard him with a few of my friends. He requested a training bag and when we wanted to know what he was going to do with it he agreed to teach us. The other girls weren't interested in a man's training techniques so I was the only one who learned," said Lydia as she began to dump sand back into the punching bag.  
  
"You mean you learned that when you were twelve?"  
  
"Yeah, so?" asked the girl with a shrug.  
  
Xena scratched her chin thoughtfully. "You're a busy-body, aren't you? After a fight like that I suggest getting a good night's sleep and then a nice, warm bath the next morning."  
  
Lydia chuckled. "Sleep? I don't sleep."  
  
"Well, why not?" asked Xena, sitting on a stump and motioning for Lydia to do the same.  
  
"Because of the nightmares," said Lydia as she sat across from Xena. She lowered her dark brown eyes to her toes almost guiltily.  
  
"Why the long face? What kind of nightmares are these? Maybe I can help you out."  
  
Lydia sighed and leaned back, causing the light of the moon to spill onto her bruised face. Her eye was swollen, her cheek turning black, and the cut on her lip wasn't exactly gorgeous, either.  
  
"Ooh, that looks painful. Sorry 'bout that," said Xena, examining the girl's wound with a healer's trained eye. "You put any cold compresses on those?"  
  
"Yeah. I also got some antibacterial stuff for the cut. How's your leg?"  
  
"Why'd you ask?"  
  
"Didn't know you could run that fast."  
  
Xena chuckled. "Neither did I," replied the warrior, leaning back in her chair. "Now, back to the nightmares. What are they like?"  
  
Lydia shrugged.  
  
"Un-uh, don't play that game with me. What happens in your dreams to make them nightmares?" asked the warrior sternly. She hoped she didn't have to put the Pinch on this girl.  
  
"They're more like memories… horrible memories. First, I'm being carried by someone as they run through the forest. Whoever is carrying me is facing away, and I'm looking over their shoulder at these soldiers chase us. Suddenly my carrier falls and the men surround us. One grabs me and throws me into the bushes, where I peek through the leaves. They raise their sword and behead two people, one that was carrying me and one that was running ahead of us."  
  
Xena waited for the girl to continue, but when she didn't the warrior said, "Then what happens?"  
  
Lydia sighed before resuming, "The man who threw me into the bushes comes over and picks me back up, then begins to beat me. I swear I can feel his hands and feet hitting me over and over again… then I wake up, usually screaming and in a cold sweat."  
  
"Do your friends help you with this?"  
  
"That's how I got moved to the next House. All my age-mates didn't give a damn about me and the nightmares…and when Varia saw that the House of the High Sun girls came over every night when they heard me screaming…she moved me there to save them a trip."  
  
Xena thought this over, her curiosity growing for the reason she had been made an outcast by her peers. "Why do your peers not like you?"  
  
Lydia felt like a five-year-old talking to a concerned teacher. "They call me 'mutt' and 'mix-breed'…The healer said that she was almost totally sure that my mother was from Japa and my father from Rome. I've never been accepted because of that."  
  
The older woman lowered her eyes, feeling a wave of sympathy for this girl. "So you pass the time by beating up beanbags?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
And she wasn't disappointed. Lydia chuckled a bit, letting the smile linger on her lips. "Not exactly. This is just my way to get rid of post-battle tension."  
  
"It's not a very safe way, is it?"  
  
"Hey, I would never hit one of my friends. My age-mates, on the other hand…" She punched the bag rather violently, sending more sand flying everywhere.  
  
"Um…that's not the best idea I've heard today. Listen, how about we continue this little discussion tomorrow? Try and get some sleep, huh?" the older warrior suggested sincerely.  
  
Lydia shrugged but then agreed with a nod.  
  
"Good girl," said Xena with a grin. She patted Lydia on the head and stood.  
  
"Don't treat me like a dog," said the young girl as she also rose to her feet.  
  
Xena imitated Lydia's 'shrug but nod' routine. "Oof!" Before Xena knew what had happened, she was on the floor and Lydia was walking away with a satisfied grin on her face. Okay, that was getting annoying.  
  
  
  
At breakfast the next morning, Varia joined Xena and Gabrielle at their table. "I hear you had a nice midnight chat with Lydia last night, Xena," said the queen as she began on her eggs.  
  
"She's a troubled one, isn't she?" asked the warrior princess without bothering to answer Varia's statement/question.  
  
"Came to us at age five…the merchant said there was also a young boy she had been holding, but he took the boy with him to raise," said Varia, looking to Gabrielle.  
  
Xena's ears perked up. "You mean she does have a relative that you know of? How come you didn't mention that sooner?"  
  
"Why the sudden interest, Xena?" asked Gabrielle, wiping her soul mate's face with a napkin.  
  
Xena jerked away like a child trying to get away from her mother. "Because she wants to know about her family…she just doesn't want to admit it. Has she ever talked to you about the nightmares she has, Varia?"  
  
Varia shook her head 'no', as her mouth was full of vegetables.  
  
"Well, she says something about being chased through the woods by soldiers, then getting beaten by one of them," said the warrior thoughtfully. She looked at Varia, who was waving her hand in front of her mouth as if trying to speak. "You choking?"  
  
Varia swallowed hard and coughed a few times before replying, "No. I was just going to say that just before she was brought to us, the Hittites raided a nearby village and killed all the adults off, selling the children to harems and slave drivers."  
  
Xena considered this, then looked up as laughing at the back of the room grew louder.  
  
Tavi clasped wrists with Lydia and shook her head. "You are hopeless! What did we tell you about sneaking around the centaur village? Someday they're going to run you through with a spear, step back, and say 'Oops.'"  
  
Lydia shook her head and shrugged. "I'm telling you, if some of those centaurs get a haircut then…Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, can we say 'babe'?" said the short girl, licking her finger and pressing it to her shoulder. "Sizzle. Besides, they'd never get that close to me without my noticing."  
  
Jessie laughed, sipping from her juice mug. "My mother had a centaur after she had me, and she swore to me that it was the most painful thing she had ever gone through."  
  
"Who said I ever planned to have children centaurs? We have a treaty to give the centaurs new brothers every ten years. Now, in ten years I'll only be twenty-four…and that means I won't be old enough to have a centaur, and neither will you. Then, ten years later, we'll already have had daughters and since there is an age limit on women who have already given birth having centaurs… we'll be too old," said Lydia with a sly grin.  
  
The circle of friends all laughed as they realized that Lydia had it all planned out.  
  
Xena curiously turned to Varia. "How old are those girls?"  
  
"Most of them are seventeen or sixteen, but the tall one is eighteen," said Varia as she finished her breakfast. "I told you and she told you, her peers have nothing to do with her. Why don't you and Gabrielle relax instead of beating yourself up over this?" suggested the queen as she left.  
  
Xena groaned and let her head fall to the table. "This world is not working with me!" she said into the wood, causing her mate to chuckle.  
  
  
  
Gabrielle gently worked some lavender-scented oil into her lover's shoulders. "Ah, you haven't been this tense in awhile, Love," whispered the bard. "Those teenage hormones finally getting to you? I know Eve still has some of them rolling around in her head."  
  
Xena simply chuckled and closed her eyes.  
  
"Oh come on. Did you hear the way she yelled at you? She even told you to shut up for crying out loud! Tell me that's not teenage hormones," said Gabrielle with a smile. She drove her thumb into Xena's spine to get a response.  
  
"Hey!" protested Xena, jumping at the force. "Fine…fine…whaddya want me to say?"  
  
"I want you to tell me just what the hell is bothering you."  
  
Xena sighed and leaned back into the bard. "I was just thinking. You know, I'm like fifty-nine-years-old and you're what? Forty…eight."  
  
Gabrielle poked Xena in the side. Hard. "That's not what you were thinking about. Xena, tell me, please?" said the bard, poking out her bottom lip.  
  
"Oh…no, don't give me the lip. Don't—okay, fine," said Xena in defeat. "I hate the lip."  
  
"I love the lip!" replied Gabrielle, a little too perkily for Xena.  
  
"I'm not even going to confront the many meanings of that statement," said the warrior, putting a hand to her forehead, which was beginning to throb. "But anyway, do you really want to know what I was thinking about?"  
  
Gabrielle glared at her. "You have five seconds."  
  
"What if we take Lydia away? Try and find her family for her? I know you couldn't have missed the glares she was getting from her peers and even some of the older women of this tribe. She's disrespected because she's considered a minority in this nation. We'll just let her travel with us for a little while, and if nothing turns up we'll take her back."  
  
"You sound like you're talking about renting a pet dog or something."  
  
Xena laughed and kissed Gabrielle's cheek. "Not exactly. More like renting a girl who's two cherries short of a bushel."  
  
"Xena! That was mean!" She smacked her on the arm.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…I just…it's like she's me…at a young age."  
  
A laugh slipped from Gabrielle's lips before she could stop it. She slapped a hand over her mouth, but couldn't contain a smile. "I'm sorry. You? Xena, she's not exactly running around building better gallows."  
  
"Okay, that hurt," said Xena with mock pain.  
  
"Sorry," said Gabrielle, poking out her lip and kissing Xena lightly on the lips. "The image just flashed through my mind and it was funny."  
  
"Besides, I didn't build gallows…I planned beheadings…" said Xena in the nature of a five-year-old child, staring down at her feet guiltily.  
  
That was it. Gabrielle began laughing so hard she found it hard to breathe and fell to the floor with a dull thud. "Ah… ah…Xena…Xena, that's funny!" said the bard, slapping the ground as she tried in vain to use her lungs.  
  
"Obviously," muttered the warrior. "It's not that funny, Gab."  
  
The bard caught her breath and straightened up to try and regain some dignity. "Sorry… I just had a mental image," said Gabrielle as she wiped her eyes free of tears. "Okay, but back to the point at hand."  
  
Xena sighed and slumped on the pallet. "Should we?"  
  
"Trifle with this? I think so."  
  
The warrior laughed and pulled Gabrielle to her. "I knew I loved you for a reason."  
  
"My legs?"  
  
Xena chuckled again and yanked her bard into a searing-hot kiss.  
  
  
  
"Hey guys!" called Lydia as she burst into her House.  
  
Ling groaned and looked at the sundial. "It's five in the morning, Lydia, go kick a guy in the crotch or something like that," mumbled the girl, throwing her arm over her eyes.  
  
"No, you have to get up! I am going to travel with Xena and Gabrielle!"  
  
That got the desired effect. All the girls shot bolt-upright in their bunks, each one totally void of sleepiness as they looked at Lydia.  
  
"No way," said Rita, dropping from her top bunk. "They didn't even let Queen Cyane's mother travel with them."  
  
"I'm serious! They just asked me to come with them! Isn't this great? I gotta get packed!" squealed the short girl, barreling towards her bunk and almost running right into Ling. "Whoops, excuse me." She ran over to her item chest and opened it hurriedly.  
  
Tavi bit her lip. "You mean today?"  
  
"Of course today! I wouldn't come barging in here at this hour for nothing!"  
  
"I argue to that statement!" muttered Jessie as she rolled from her bunk and onto the floor, where she proceeded to crawl towards the group.  
  
"After Xena and Gabrielle are finished packing we'll leave for the land of the Hittites. After that we're going to go see her daughter in Indus!" said Lydia excitedly as she threw some extra leathers into a pack.  
  
In all her excitement she didn't notice the sad expressions on her friends' faces. Jessie broke the silence by saying, "We'll all miss ya."  
  
Lydia halted her rush and lowered her eyes guiltily. "Yeah, I'll miss you guys too. How about one more breakfast? Dessert on me?"  
  
"Hell, if it's on you then I'm getting everything and third helpings!" said Jessie with a wide grin.  
  
  
  
Lydia lowered her eyes as she finally felt a pang of remorse for leaving her friends. She hugged them all; Tavi, Rita, Jessie, Sabi, Tria, Ling…and the rest of them in a giant group hug before turning to Xena and Gabrielle. "I'm ready."  
  
"Well, get your horse and we'll be on our way," said Xena, pulling on Argo's reins.  
  
"Horse? Did I say something about having just a horse? Ladies, you haven't seen a horse until you've laid eyes on my ride." Lydia gave them an evil grin.  
  
  
  
Xena's jaw dropped as Lydia came prancing out of the village stables on a… zebra? "What the hell? You call that a horse?"  
  
"It was taken from its herd as a young foal, and it won't listen to anyone else. Will ya, Neferiti?" said the girl, rubbing the animal's neck. It turned and stuck its tongue out at Xena and Gabrielle, a gesture gone unnoticed by the zebra's mistress.  
  
Gabrielle stepped behind Xena at the sight of those huge flat teeth. "Maybe we should walk?"  
  
Xena laughed and patted her lover's head comfortingly. "Nah. I think zebra stew would be nice if that thing ever touched you or me."  
  
  
  
"Dunna, dunna, dunna, dunna, DUN!!!" Lydia hummed to herself, playing an invisible instrument as they rode down the road.  
  
"What're you singing?" asked Gabrielle curiously.  
  
"'Sometimes when I'm alone, I got a view of my own. I pretend I'm someone else, takin' a look at myself. And I'll wonder what I'm thinking. I'll hope I'll be okay. And I'll finally reach the day when everybody sings my song!'" boomed the girl, closing her eyes as she imagined the tune inside her head.  
  
Xena furrowed her brow in confusion. "Where'd you hear that?"  
  
"Dream."  
  
Gabrielle chuckled and clicked her tongue, expecting her horse to go faster, but instead the white steed simply stopped and sent Gabrielle flying to the ground.  
  
"You should've stuck with walking, Gabrielle," said Xena as she dismounted Argo.  
  
"I will not give up! This is an Arabian stallion and I spent twenty dinars on you, ya little--"  
  
Xena stopped Gabrielle before she could say something she would regret. "Maybe we should walk awhile." She grabbed her and Gabrielle's horses' reins. "Lydia, come on!"  
  
Lydia reluctantly dismounted her…zebra and began to walk towards them.  
  
"Don't you need to hold the reins?" asked Gabrielle.  
  
"No. She'll follow me," replied the girl with a wide grin.  
  
Neferiti turned and made a raspberry at Xena, who jumped back in surprise. "If that thing bites me, I'll--"  
  
"Aw, is Neferiti being a bad girl? Come on, be nice to the big bad ex- warlord, huh?" crooned Lydia, grinning as Neferiti gave her a zebra kiss. "Yes, that's right. See, Xena? She wouldn't hurt a fly!"  
  
"She would if it was biting her in the butt…" muttered Xena.  
  
  
  
That evening, Xena let Lydia chose the campsite. The girl picked out a nice little clearing between a tight grove of trees that gave them shelter from the wind but allowed them enough room to settle in comfortably.  
  
Gabrielle chuckled at the girl's choice. "She's almost better than you are at this, Xe."  
  
"What else is new?" growled the warrior as she set out her bedroll.  
  
Lydia chuckled as she returned to the campsite with a rabbit. "If I'm not welcome here I'll go sleep in that little one-person cave fifty paces off," suggested the girl with a wide smile.  
  
"Why is sending you off a happy subject?" asked Gabrielle in confusion.  
  
"You two banter like a married couple. But the catch is that you never really fight. And I'm also laughing because Gabrielle's stallion is hitting on my Neferiti."  
  
"Now that's just kinky. Cross-breeding?" said the bard with a shudder.  
  
Lydia shook her head as she prepared the rabbit. "Why exactly did you take me? I'm still a little foggy on why the great Warrior Princess and Battling Bard took a hormonal teenager on a nice little joy ride with them through the throes of the outside world."  
  
"Never heard those words used in the same sentence before," said Gabrielle under her breath. "We took you because we're going to help you find your past, your heritage. I understand a traveling merchant said you had a little brother."  
  
"Yes, yes he did. From what I remember, upon leaving he traveled…southwest of our lands."  
  
Xena scratched her chin. "That means he went to Rome. So that's where we're headed, not the land of the Hittites."  
  
  
  
BOOM! Gabrielle jerked out of her sleep as Xena did. They looked at each other in confusion over the sound.  
  
BOOM! It came again, this time followed by a few shorter ones.  
  
Xena rolled her eyes and mouthed, "Lydia." She got up from her bedroll and went towards the sound, which was coming straight from a nearby river.  
  
  
  
Lydia, her hands tensed like paddles, blocked and delivered blows to her masked opponent. He returned the favor, using his fists to fight with the girl. They stopped for a moment, their hands and arms locked together. Lydia took the chance to looked up into the eyes of her adversary, who wore a porcelain mask over his face.  
  
He had black eyes that radiated a hatred Lydia had never felt before. It swirled around her soul and darkened it like a shadow, almost to the point of making her dizzy. Before she had time to further her studies of her opponent, he pushed her onto the ground. She jumped to her feet and, their hands moving like lightning, they grasped each other's throats.  
  
Lydia's adversary slammed her into a tree and she kicked him in the stomach, loosening his hold enough so that she began to advance on him. A challenge of strength forming, they pushed at each other's necks while trying hard not to have theirs snapped.  
  
Xena stepped from the clearing of the trees and her eyes flew open in surprise. "Lydia! What the hell are you doing!"  
  
"Trying not to get my neck broken," answered the girl in a choked voice.  
  
"Hey, centaur, pick on someone your own size," purred the warrior dangerously as she drew her sword.  
  
The centaur looked from Xena to Lydia, then he hurled the girl into the river and galloped off before either Xena could react and chase after him. Lydia surfaced with a gasp, brushing her hair from her face as she tried to catch her breath. She began to paddle towards the river as Xena knelt at the water's edge. "Give me your hand," said the taller woman, holding out hers. The Amazon accepted it and Xena helped her from the cold waters. "Not exactly my idea of a morning bath," joked Lydia as she wiped her eyes.  
  
"What do you think you were doing?" scolded Xena as they began back towards camp.  
  
"I was just beating up a tree," she pointed to a nearby oak that had been stripped of bark from the ground to five feet up, "when he came out of nowhere and attacked me. First I was a little stunned to see a centaur so far from the village, but I have heard of this traveling herd that roams from land to land. I had no choice but to fight him. He would've killed me, Xena."  
  
Xena thought this over as they came to camp, where Gabrielle was waiting worriedly.  
  
"Young lady! You dry off before you catch your death of cold!" demanded the bard, holding out a large towel.  
  
Lydia couldn't help but laugh as she accepted it and began to dry herself off. "Sorry. Forgot to take off my leathers before I took my bath, Mother." A smile tweaked at her lip as she waited for a response.  
  
Gabrielle, hands on hips, glared at Xena. She apparently hadn't noticed the title given to her by the young girl. "How come you let this happen?"  
  
"She got in a fight with a centaur, no big deal, Honey," said Xena, playing husband as Lydia played daughter.  
  
Gabrielle suddenly realized the taunting she was getting. Throwing her arms up into the air, she laughed in defeat. "You got me."  
  
They shared a laugh, then Xena picked up a pair of trousers and a tunic. "Here, put this on until your leathers are dry again. I know you won't like them, but it's a pain the butt to have wet leathers."  
  
Lydia caught the outfit as Xena threw it at her. "Not exactly this season's most happenin' style, but I can chill with it," said the girl as she disappeared into the trees.  
  
"Don't get into a fight with any other creatures, okay?" called Xena, turning to Gabrielle. "'This season's most happenin' style' 'I can chill with it'? She has strange lingo."  
  
"Futuristic?" suggested Gabrielle as she stomped out the fire.  
  
"No… just strange."  
  
  
  
The first town the came to was a semi-large village named Nassa. Xena went to put the two horses and… zebra in the town stables while Gabrielle and Lydia went to the local tavern to rent out a room.  
  
As they entered the tavern Lydia immediately snorted in disgust at the sight of so many men in one place. "Pigs," muttered the girl as she followed Gabrielle.  
  
The men all looked up and whistled at the two women, some rubbing their crotches. Lydia gave them a disgusted look as she pushed past one and sat in the corner booth back to the wall, Gabrielle following the suit. "Ignore them. Xena and I get it all the time," said the bard as she saw just a flicker of fear in the young girl's brown eyes.  
  
"How do you stand it? They're so…disgusting," said Lydia, looking around the room at the men who were still eyeing them hungrily.  
  
"Just block it out. It's not like they'd touch a girl with a weapon, or an Amazon for that matter."  
  
"I'm fourteen years old, Gabrielle. I don't think that really qualifies as a warrior."  
  
"You beat up Xena."  
  
Lydia considered that as she accepted her drink.  
  
"Thank you. That tattoo…it's Celtic, isn't it?" asked Gabrielle of the waiter.  
  
That caught Lydia's attention and she looked up into the face of their server.  
  
He was a centaur. Lydia's heart jumped into her throat, but then she realized that he wasn't the same one that had attacked her earlier. He had bright blue eyes that caught Lydia's in a stare that sent shivers down her spine. His hair was unruly and dirty blonde, hanging down in braids to his midsection, like all the other centaurs she had seen. But those eyes…Lydia shivered again.  
  
"Hello?" said Gabrielle, waving a hand in front of their faces. "You guys die on me now?"  
  
The centaur tore his eyes from Lydia's and turned to Gabrielle. "Um, no. Sorry. Yes, it is Celtic. I got this tattoo from a Celtic artisan. Excuse me for a moment, will you? Thanks." He quickly cantered off towards the back of the tavern.  
  
Gabrielle looked at Lydia, who was currently hitting herself in the forehead with her palm. "What are you doing now?"  
  
"I think I just swallowed a bug," said Lydia as she continued to smack herself.  
  
Gabrielle laughed and patted her on the back. "Does someone have the hots for a centaur?"  
  
Lydia slammed her hand on the table and glared at Gabrielle. "I don't like him! He's a centaur and he's not even part of the village!"  
  
The bard gave her a look of disbelief. "Oh come on! I'm a girl too, I know that look."  
  
Lydia groaned and let her head fall to the table. "Just don't tell Xena."  
  
"Ha! You admit it!"  
  
"I did not!"  
  
"Did too!"  
  
"Did what?" asked Xena.  
  
Both Gabrielle and Lydia jumped in surprise.  
  
"Pleeease don't do that!" said Lydia, hand over her chest.  
  
"Yes, her poor heart can't take anymore," teased Gabrielle, winking at Xena.  
  
The warrior caught on quickly. "Oh, is there someone that Lydia's heart is skipping beats for? I knew you'd like it to be out of that village and into the real world."  
  
Lydia scowled as their plates were set out before them. She didn't bother looking up into the face of the centaur for fear Xena would notice. "Thank you," she croaked, barely able to keep her eyes glued to the table.  
  
But Xena was no fool. As soon as the centaur was out of earshot she turned to Lydia. "Ooh, he's nice. You have a good eye for men, considering you're an Amazon."  
  
Lydia muttered something unintelligible as she pulled two small sticks from her pocket and began eating with them.  
  
Xena watched curiously. "What're you doing?"  
  
"Eating."  
  
"Since when do you use chopsticks?" asked the warrior in confusion.  
  
"Since I never learned how to use a fork and spoon," replied the girl in a matter-of-factly tone.  
  
Xena looked to Gabrielle with a furrowed brow, but the bard simply shrugged and began to eat her own dinner. Lydia downed her food like no tomorrow, then dropped a few coins on the table and scampered away without so much as a word.  
  
Gabrielle shook her head. "She's scared, Xena."  
  
"Why'd you say that? She doesn't seem that way to me."  
  
"She's never seen men up close before. She's scared of them. I don't doubt she's heard of her sisters getting sold into harems and such," said the bard as she sipped from her goblet.  
  
Xena nodded in understanding. "Well, let's finish up and go enjoy our room. I trust you got the teenager her own room?"  
  
"Of course I did," replied Gabrielle with a sly grin.  
  
"Mmm, I love it when you think like that."  
  
  
  
That night, when there were only a few customers left, the tavern keeper was cleaning up when he noticed something against the wall at the door. He went over to investigate and found an iron staff with Amazon feathers hanging from it.  
  
"Hey, centaur!" called the burly tavern keeper.  
  
"Yes, Beradus?" said the centaur, poking his head from the kitchen.  
  
"Any idea about what whore brought this in?"  
  
The young centaur examined it from a distance. "Yeah, why?"  
  
"Take it to 'em. I won't have filth such as this in my tavern!"  
  
  
  
After checking with the two warriors the Amazon had come in with, the centaur followed the sounds of fighting. It led him through the darkest alleys of the streets, then to the place where the trees began. She was there, punching a bag suspended by leather straps from a tree.  
  
The centaur ducked into the shadows as he watched, his eyes unable to leave her.  
  
She moved like lightning, her hands jabbing the leather bag and causing dust to erupt from its half-broken seams. Sweat covered her body, matting her tied-back hair to her neck and the stray locks to her cheek. A bead rolled down her brow to her cheekbone, and she wiped it away without slowing her training.  
  
Her well-toned muscles rippled ever so slightly as she moved, showing that she was in fact athletic, but not too much.  
  
As the centaur watched her, it seemed that time slowed. His blue eyes studied her every move, the way her hands came into contact with the punching bag; the way her body twisted slightly with every movement, but always stayed in the same position. Suddenly she jumped into the air in slow motion, her feet lifting from the ground, and delivered a powerful kick. The bag went flying across the clearing, where it landed in a cloud of dust. The girl wiped the sweat from her brow, her face matted with stray locks of hair.  
  
The centaur's heart got caught in his throat. He could positively hear her heartbeat, slowed with the stillness of time. BA-RUMP. BA-RUMP. He could also hear her breathing, slowly in and slowly out; inhaling and exhaling. Both sounds created a sense of power that the centaur had never felt before.  
  
"Lydia!" called a voice.  
  
Time became right again as the husky voice broke the silence.  
  
Lydia looked up at a window, where one of the mysterious warrior women was leaning out. "I think you have thoroughly beaten the bag up. Come on inside and get some sleep!" boomed the brunette before shutting the window again.  
  
"Alright, Xena!" called the girl, picking up her training bag. She abruptly froze and looked around as if she sensed a presence.  
  
The centaur blinked and she was gone.  
  
"What do you want?" growled Lydia, pressing a dagger to the centaur's throat from her position behind him. Crush or not, he could always serve as a threat to her, and that was something she had been trained to prevent.  
  
"I--I just wanted to return your staff."  
  
Lydia snatched her staff from him, but didn't remove the dagger. "Then why didn't you just come out and give it to me? You scared of a girl?"  
  
The centaur shook his head.  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
Although hesitant, the centaur replied, "Bowellus."  
  
Lydia released him, a smile twitching her features. "Alright, I'm gonna let you go just for that and then I'll go smack your parents for naming ya that."  
  
"I was not named by my parents. My mother was a whore and my father was just looking to get laid. I was sold into slavery as a young centaur. My friends call me Stone," said the centaur, standing up to try and regain some of his dignity.  
  
"In that case, Stone, I'll smack them twice," said Lydia as she fingered the hilt of her dagger.  
  
"Do you usually scent your daggers with jasmine? Is that a girl thing?" asked Stone, crossing his arms teasingly.  
  
"It's a breast dagger, idiot," said the girl as she put it in her pocket so as not to offer this centaur a nice little show of 'sheathing' the dagger. "But thanks for returning my staff."  
  
"Any good with that?"  
  
His answer was to have all four legs knocked out from under him before he knew what was happening.  
  
"You might say that," she retorted with a smug grin. "Out of curiosity, how did you end up here in Nahssa?"  
  
"'Out of curiosity,' what's your family history? I told you mine so you tell me yours. Then I'll answer your question," said the centaur as he stood up again. "Please, sit down."  
  
Lydia accepted the offer and took a seat on a bag of grain. "I was found abandoned on the side of the road with my little brother at age five. A traveling merchant picked us up and gave me to the Amazons to raise since he wanted nothing to do with a girl. He told them he was going to raise my brother as his own son. So I grew up among the Amazons, and then came the Day of Heritage for me and my age-mates.  
  
"The village shamaness told each of us where our parents and our ancestors came from, and any famous or infamous descendants we had. When it was my turn the shamaness became very upset, like she didn't want to announce this to the whole tribe. I wish she didn't. She told me that my mother was from Japa and my father from Rome. Then I was made an outcast by my peers for being nothing but a mutt.  
  
"But the older girls, feeling sympathy for me, took me into their circle of friends. I found nothing better to do with my time than train, and I have sparred with every warrior in my tribe. Then Xena and Gabrielle came along and I battled Xena and won. They took me with them and…here I am."  
  
Stone considered this quietly. "You're very thorough with your explanations, aren't you?"  
  
Lydia laughed. "Yes, I am! I hate it when people ask excess questions so I just explain everything in one answer. Now it's your turn."  
  
The centaur scratched his head. "Well, I spent most of my childhood working for an Egyptian nobleman. When he lost his entire fortune in a bet I was sold to another master, a Roman veteran. He taught me how to speak many languages, how to read, and a lot about math. When he passed away I was as smart as any educated Roman child.  
  
"But then I was given to his son, a cruel man who did with his father's fortune as he pleased. I was made to be a pack-horse, carrying the heaviest of loads while he traveled from foreign land to foreign land. Finally he met someone who dared to defy him, and he was killed. Then I came to a man named Octavius, who was a rising Roman politician. He made sure I was well cared for and gave me to the tavern-keeper, the most second most tolerant man I've ever met."  
  
Lydia silently pondered over this, her fingers gently tapping on her leg. Stone found the incessant tapping a bit unnerving and put his hand over hers to stop it. The Amazon froze and stared down at his hand over hers. Her heart began skipping beats two by two and she had to remind herself to breathe. She began tapping her fingers furiously under his hands, then looked up into his eyes. Stone began laughing and so did Lydia, though a little more nervously than not.  
  
"I take it you do that when you're nervous?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.  
  
"Yeah," croaked Lydia, her throat as dry as parchment. "So…where can I get a tattoo like that?" Her eyes twinkled mischievously.  
  
  
  
Xena woke up and looked around the room, half-expecting Lydia to be beating up the fireplace or something of that nature. She then remembered that the girl had her own room and rolled from the bed, leaving Gabrielle to sleep in as she always did.  
  
"Lydia," Xena said as she knocked on the door. When she got no reply she gently turned the doorknob and opened the door to find the room empty. Lydia's things were still as she had left them the night before. "That girl is going to be the death of me," muttered the warrior as she closed the door and went in search of the teenager.  
  
  
  
When she finally found Lydia she wasn't too happy.  
  
The girl was fast asleep, leaned up against a centaur, who was also asleep and leaning against a wall. One arm draped around her waist, his chin rested on top of her head lazily as they slept. Lydia's arms were hugging herself, obviously trying to block out the cold.  
  
"Lydia," said Xena in a cross tone. When neither Lydia nor the centaur moved she tapped the girl's sock-covered foot with her toe. "You better hope for the sake of your boyfriend you wake up."  
  
Lydia groaned in discomfort and opened one sleepy brown eye. She looked up into the angry face of Xena, then to the centaur sleeping so peacefully behind her. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"  
  
"Yeah, you might say that," said the warrior, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"It's not how it looks, I swear!" She removed herself from Stone's strong arms and stood. "We didn't do anything! We just talked! Look, I'd never do that! I'm only fourteen. Quite frankly, I'm one of those people who think you shouldn't do 'it' until you're like twenty, and I'm not kidding!"  
  
Xena studied the girl and realized she was telling the truth by the exasperated look on her face. "Okay, but if Gabrielle was in my position she'd hang you up by your thumbs."  
  
Lydia allowed herself to chuckle, then tapped Stone on the shoulder. "Um, I suggest you get outta here before my 'caretaker' gets very, very mad."  
  
Stone looked up into two fiery mad blue eyes. "Ah, right. I'll just be going now," he said, slowly getting to his feet then galloping away as fast as he could.  
  
"Inn. Now."  
  
Lydia didn't have to be told twice.  
  
  
  
Gabrielle laughed as she watched Xena silently fume next to the window. "You're gonna scorch the curtains, hot head," teased the bard, the smile never leaving her lips. Xena was playing protective father…mother…whatever. Too funny.  
  
"Whaddya mean?"  
  
"Don't even try and fake with me. You're being protective of her."  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"I am not having a two-word-sentence argument with you."  
  
Gabrielle's eyes twinkled mischievously as she quickly replied, "Are too!"  
  
Xena growled at the bard before turning her attention back to the window. "Besides, why would I have a reason to be protective of her? We both know she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself." She rapped her fingers on the windowsill.  
  
"Well," said Gabrielle, slipping her arms around Xena's waist, "there could be the fact that you're growing really attached to her…or maybe it's just my imagination." She nuzzled the warrior's neck comfortingly.  
  
"It's not like I'm not concerned for her well-being…I just, kinda feel like she's a younger version of both me and Eve."  
  
"Ah, the whole 'I missed my child's years of growth so I'm growing attached to a girl who acts just like her' routine. I get it," said Gabrielle with a smile. She gently kissed Xena behind the ear. "I thought we'd been over this a million times."  
  
"Yeah…but there's always that nagging at the back of your head, isn't there?" said the warrior as she watched the bustling marketplace.  
  
"Of course, and that's why you have me," joked the bard. "Come on, we gotta go interrogate the poor little people of this town."  
  
  
  
Stone knelt on one knee in front of another centaur. "I am sorry, my lord."  
  
"You were supposed to bring the Amazon to me. We need to spill every drop of her blood inside her body in the name of Ixion for our race to remain strong," said the old centaur, crossing his arms across his chest. "You will bring her to me by sunset two days from now or we'll have a nice beheading instead."  
  
"It shall be done, Lord Moloch, I promise you."  
  
"For the sake of your life you better hope so. Go! Bring her to me unharmed!" ordered Moloch, pointing in the direction of the town.  
  
  
  
Lydia ran her hand over a tapestry. The intricate design depicted the story of Zeus and how he battled his father Cronos to gain his reign on Mt. Olympus. She stopped to examine a picture of the great Titan being run through with one of his own ribs. That was weird.  
  
She looked up at the sound of yelling across the marketplace. The sound of Xena unsheathing her sword reached her ears and she took off toward the sound.  
  
Xena reached the scuffle right when Lydia did, but the girl pushed her back. "Wait," she ordered the older woman.  
  
The warrior complied with her wish, stepping back a few paces.  
  
Lydia turned back around to see a man and a woman arguing. The woman was shouting in a foreign language while the man, obviously not understanding, was yelling back in Latin.  
  
The girl stepped between them. "What's the problem?" she asked sternly.  
  
"Nothing that would concern you," said the shopkeeper, his nose in the air.  
  
Lydia knocked his feet out from under him. "What's the problem," she repeated, slowly and dangerously this time.  
  
"That wench tried to attack me!" said the man, pointing to his would-be attacker.  
  
The Amazon turned around and softened at the woman, who wasn't really a woman at all. She was a young girl, not a day over fifteen. Her face was smudged with dirt and ashes, mixed in with some dry blood and tears.  
  
Lydia gently wiped the other girl's face and said in Greek, "What language do you speak?"  
  
Timidly, the older girl replied shakily, "I am from Gaul." She replied in heavily-accented Greek.  
  
"Do you speak Amazon?" asked Lydia, switching to her native Amazon tongue.  
  
Suddenly the young woman brightened. "Oh yes! I was once taught by a traveling Amazon professor!" she piped cheerfully. In this dialect she wasn't as accented, but some Gaelic-sounds influenced her words. "Thank you for stopping that man."  
  
"What happened?" asked Lydia.  
  
"I don't know the words to explain."  
  
Lydia took a deep breath and said something in Gaelic that Xena didn't understand. Lydia spoke that language? The warrior was baffled. Not even she could speak that complex language, and had never even bothered trying to learn it.  
  
"I don't know much Gaelic," said Lydia in the woman's native tongue, "but I do know enough."  
  
She and the woman began to talk in the strange language that no one around them understood at all. The shopkeeper simply glared at them both. "Whores," he muttered under his breath.  
  
After some conversing, Lydia turned to the man and said, "She didn't attack you. You were the one to attack her. Nice argument, reverse the story, but there's no way I'm letting you get by with this." She twirled her staff. "Stand."  
  
The shopkeeper, offering no defense on his part, stood.  
  
Lydia pressed her staff into his throat. "If I ever catch you causing trouble for a woman you'll be sorry you were ever born," she purred dangerously in Latin, her voice low enough so that no one but he heard it.  
  
"So be it," he replied, his voice dripping with hatred.  
  
Anger coursing through her veins, Lydia knocked him out cold with the end of her staff. "Bastard." The crowd stepped back a few paces, allowing room for the angry Amazon to storm past them, her staff carelessly swinging everywhere.  
  
  
  
Lydia closed her diary and sighed, her head leaning against the wall of a building she was sitting against. That surge of emotions she had felt in the marketplace still hadn't left her heart. The anger she had felt was overwhelming. Even in her home village, she had seen how cruel men could be. When captured, they never lost their cocky nature. They'd call out to Amazons for sex, spit at their feet, even reach out and grab them in uncomfortable places as they walked by.  
  
But there were always the good, noble men that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Those men would quietly await their fate, talking with Amazons as humans, not thinking crude thoughts or even acknowledging the fact that he was one man in a sea of women. As she was lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the presence of someone next to her.  
  
"Mind if I join you?" asked Stone.  
  
Lydia looked up into his face and shrugged. "Sure."  
  
The centaur settled himself next to her. "Dinar for your thoughts?"  
  
"This man in the marketplace today attacked a woman and lied about it because she didn't speak his language. She was Gaelic."  
  
Stone thoughtfully stared into the distance. "That's horrible."  
  
"I've seen worse," replied the girl, unconsciously leaning into him.  
  
"You've been through a lot, haven't you?"  
  
"Not as much as you. I could never be strong under that much stress and pressure," said Lydia, smiling as Stone wrapped his arms around her. "Must've been very hard for you."  
  
"I guess I got used to it after awhile. But that's all in the past. I've learned that every moment is gone, except in your memory, and I will never be lived again. So everything unneeded that you do just wastes priceless seconds of your life," he said, leaning his head against hers.  
  
Lydia's smile widened as she reveled in his comfortable embrace. "I better go before Xena gets mad," she said, longing for contact again.  
  
Stone's face dropped. "Okay…see ya at breakfast."  
  
"See ya," said Lydia as she began to walk away. She abruptly stopped as a gentle hand rested on her shoulder. Turning around, her eyes widened in surprise as Stone's lips came down on hers. She returned the kiss, every fiber of her being thoroughly enjoying it. Surprising them both, Lydia was the first to demand passage into Stone's mouth, and he complied without hesitation.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, Lydia pulled away and gasped for breath. She licked the last of the sweet kiss from her lips and looked at her boots. "That was…intense. I better go." She turned and almost ran into a wall before disappearing into the tavern.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Xena noticed how Lydia bounced around the room, her usually solemn, no-funny-business-in-the-morning nature replaced with a bubbly, happy attitude. "When did you get into Elysia?" asked the warrior sarcastically as she opened the door to Lydia's room.  
  
Lydia simply gave Xena a kiss on the cheek and skipped down to breakfast.  
  
Xena looked to Gabrielle, who's jaw was dragging at her feet. "Whaddya do, Xena, hit her?" asked the bard, scratching her blonde head.  
  
"No! She was like that when I came in!" protested the warrior.  
  
"I know what's wrong with her," said Gabrielle in a matter-of-factly tone.  
  
"What?"  
  
"She's in puppy love," stated the bard with a laugh. "Please don't tell me you can't see the way her eyes twinkle and she seems to love the storm clouds that cover the sun."  
  
Xena shook her head. "I knew something like this would happen."  
  
"Yeah, but she's an Amazon. She has a right to be with a centaur if she wants to. I just don't think that counts outside the village…but oh well! There's still the principle that she can do whatever she wants," said Gabrielle, more to herself than Xena.  
  
"I'm going to go do my sword drills," muttered the warrior as she walked off. Gabrielle laughed and followed her warrior, leaving to have breakfast with Lydia.  
  
  
  
Stone served an impatient patron his breakfast, then went over to Lydia and Gabrielle's booth, in the corner as always. "Hello, ladies, how are you this morning?" he asked, pointedly at Lydia.  
  
"We're great Stone, thanks for asking," replied Lydia.  
  
Gabrielle smiled as she translated the conversation into flirting:  
  
"Hello, ladies, how are you doing this morning?"  
  
"Hey, did you enjoy that kiss?"  
  
"We're great, Stone, thanks for asking."  
  
"You're a really good kisser."  
  
"I'm glad."  
  
"I saved it for you."  
  
"You know, Stone, as a waiter you should be taking my order.  
  
"Wanna go for a walk after we're done eating?"  
  
"Oh yes, what would you like?"  
  
"Sure! What do ya want?"  
  
"I just want eggs, thanks, Stone."  
  
"I want you!"  
  
"Eggs for both of you?"  
  
"Eggs for both of you?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Good. I'll be right out with that."  
  
"Wait for me."  
  
As Gabrielle stopped her humorous thoughts, she looked up to find Lydia humming to herself happily. "What're you so happy about?" she finally asked the girl after trying in vain to recognize the tune of her song.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Oh, ha, ha. That's funny. What's got you giving Xena little pecks on the cheek? She once killed a man for doing that," said Gabrielle with a wide grin.  
  
"Like you don't know."  
  
"Humor me."  
  
Lydia sighed and set down her mug of juice. She laced her fingers and leaned forward so their conversation would be more private. "Okay, you got me. I fell for the horse boy. But it ain't serious. I'm fourteen. He's seventeen."  
  
Gabrielle looked like she was going to make a sarcastic comment, but decided against it and said instead, "You two should take a walk. I know it always helped me and Xena when we were deep in thought. Especially about each other. And do tell me what you're humming."  
  
Lydia laughed. "Why the sudden interest?"  
  
"I wanna know!" boomed the bard in mock impatience.  
  
"Something my friends and I made up from listening to the music from all our newly anointed sisters from around the world."  
  
"Well, sing it for me."  
  
Lydia blushed.  
  
"You didn't have a problem singing yesterday."  
  
"Yeah, but that was with you and Xena. There's so many people here." She looked around timidly.  
  
"Come on."  
  
Lydia sighed and gave in. "Do I really have to?"  
  
Gabrielle crossed her arms across her chest.  
  
"Fine… it's just a story about a guy who's going through life in constant wonder. He's totally lost, always wanting to know how love feels. And I don't know why it's about a guy, so don't ask!"  
  
The bard's interest sparked even more. "So sing it!"  
  
Lydia laughed and cleared her throat, "You gotta sing with me when you learn the words."  
  
"Fine."  
  
  
  
Xena returned to the tavern, covered in dirt and sweat from her drilling, to find everyone standing up and dancing around. A band was blaring away music, while the tavern keeper was smiling from ear to ear as more and more patrons arrived. And in the middle of it all was Lydia and Gabrielle.  
  
"…and I can only say she's mostly wrong! And I'm not sure how to cope with my current situation in this place that I keep saying I belong! Oh, and I do not think I'll be discussing how love can be. Won't you please tell me…How does it feel?! To reach out free? And as for me, oh the world down on their knees in sympathy!" sang the bard and adolescent, who were standing on top of a table.  
  
Xena shook her head with a smile.  
  
Gabrielle looked up and caught sight of the warrior. "Hey Xe! Care to lend us some vocals?"  
  
The warrior laughed and strode over to the table, hopping up on top of it with her two traveling companions. "What're you two doing?"  
  
"Earning a hundred dinars an hour by the look on the tavern keeper's face!" answered Lydia as she danced to the music blaring from flutes, drums, guitars, and even a lyre.  
  
The gathered audience began to cheer for more and Lydia turned to Gabrielle. "I'm beat, you guys take care of it. Stone and I are going for a walk, okay?"  
  
Gabrielle nodded just before Xena swept her into her arms and began dancing with her.  
  
  
  
"Where did you learn to dance like that? I thought that old woman in the back was going to faint," joked Stone as he and Lydia picked their way down a dirt road. "I don't think I've ever seen someone do that in public."  
  
Lydia laughed and kicked away a rock. "You people on the outside world just don't know what you're missing!" She demonstrated her dance, sensually rocking her hips with her arms waving around seductively. "Those women who wear those long dresses that reach to their toes day in an day out…jeez, I would never be able to do that." She stopped dancing and straightened up.  
  
Stone chuckled as he eyed her half-naked body. "True… your current attire states that you don't plan on covering up much, now does it?"  
  
The Amazon smiled and walked in front of him, beginning her little seduction dance again just to get on his nerves for that comment.  
  
"Um…Isn't it...um...hot today?" Stone asked nervously as he tried not to pay attention to the rays of light gleaming on Lydia's coppery tanned skin...or her silky hair…or—he mentally smacked himself.  
  
Lydia started giggling when she saw the redness start to creep down his face, starting with his neck and working all the way up to his ears. "You know, you're pretty cute when you blush," she said as she turned around and stopped, just smiling at him devilishly.  
  
"And you know what?" Stone asked teasingly as he pulled Lydia to him.  
  
"You're…very…cute…when…" He let his voice trail off as he leaned in to kiss Lydia…then, all of a sudden, he opened his eyes and realized he was on the ground with a heavy staff on his chest.  
  
"The only way you would be cute is if you were dead. And that's not impossible if you try to touch my friend again," the young Amazon stated seriously. The Amazon had blonde hair, eyes as brown as Lydia's, and a dark brown leather outfit. She started edging her way over to Lydia. "What's going on? Who is this guy? Where is Xena and Gabrielle?"  
  
"Tavi, settle down. Why don't you let him up and you and I can go talk about everything in private." Lydia smiled at her friend, knowing it would help things loosen some uneasiness. She couldn't help but laugh at the look on Stone's face.  
  
"You're lucky I'm in a good mood, boy," Tavi said warningly as she slowly let the centaur up.  
  
"Really? Could have fooled me," Stone mumbled as he started to get up…then quickly found himself back on the ground.  
  
"Watch it," Tavi snapped, punching him on the chest with the end of her staff.  
  
Lydia bit her lip to keep the smile down. "Hey Stone, do you think you could give us some time to talk?"  
  
"Sure, I guess so," Stone grumbled as he stood up and dusted himself off. "We'll talk later…so it's no big deal." He started to step closer to Lydia to give her a hug but was quickly intercepted by the taller Amazon. "Ok, ok, ok, I get the point!" Having said that, Storm trotted off.  
  
"So, are you going to explain all this to me or am I going to have to knock you upside the head a few times?" Tavi asked as she looked at Lydia's face. Hmm…Has my friend fallen for a centaur?  
  
"Ok, but as soon as I do, you better explain what you're doing here." Lydia grinned mischievously.  
  
"Alright, but you first."  
  
"Ok, to put a semi-long story short, we got here a few days ago and I met that centaur the day we got here. And well…um...I guess I like him." Lydia wondered to herself Did I just tell her that!? Oh crap!  
  
"Uh-huh. Well...hmm…I don't really know what to say. I'm happy for you." Tavi did her best to put on a smile. Ah...Come on, be happy for the girl. She needs something like this. Still...Oh, shut up Tavi.  
  
"Really? Thanks. That means a lot. Ok, so, you're turn. What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well, it just got kinda dull there and well...I missed you. I know that's stupid, but I did," admitted the taller Amazon. There, I said it. It's out there and she knows so don't worry. I guess I'm losing my edge  
  
Lydia tried not to let her mouth hang open for more than a few seconds. Tavi was always one of those people who didn't really share her feelings with everyone. Tavi was only two years older than Lydia herself, but, as a child, had been betrayed by her family... So, Tavi just stopped trusting so much…and if she trusted you at all, you had a lifelong friend.  
  
"Lydia…Ya there? Did I scare you or something?" called Tavi, waving her hands in front of the younger girl's face. Oh great, freak the girl out, would ya.  
  
"Oh, sorry. Just started thinking about something and forgot where I was. I missed you too, Tavi. I'm glad you're here." Lydia leaned over and hugged the taller girl.  
  
"Well, I'm glad I'm here too," Tavi replied as she hugged her friend.  
  
"So now that you're here, what are you planning on doing? I mean, are you gonna go back to Amazon territory or are you going to ask Xena if you can travel with her?" asked Lydia with a sly little smile.  
  
"Well, there's no way I'm going back there. I feel like an outsider without you making fun of everyone else." She grinned impishly. "So, I guess I'm going to ask Xena and Gabrielle if I can travel with you guys for awhile. That is, if you don't mind."  
  
"Me mind? Of course not. Let's go and see what they have to say."  
  
The two Amazons took off on a small run back to the town.  
  
  
  
As the two girls passed Xena and Gabrielle's door at the Inn, the heard… noises coming from inside.  
  
Moaning, passionate noises.  
  
"Oh my gosh. Are they doing what I think they're doing?" Tavi couldn't help but giggle a little.  
  
"Shhhh...Tavi...We better get outta here before they hear us!" urged Lydia, clamping her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. They went over to Lydia's room and Tavi sat down on Lydia's bed, leaning against the wall.  
  
"So, are ya hungry?" Lydia asked, as she looked over at Tavi who was smiling and laughing, her ear pressed against the wall.  
  
"Yeah, I could go for something to eat now. Besides, we better get away from then before I bust a gut from laughing," said Tavi with a mischievous grin.  
  
Lydia snorted back a laugh loudly. This only proved to make the situation worse.  
  
"Oh…Gosh.…c'mon Lydia, before you get us caught." Tavi leaped off the bed and grabbed Lydia's wrist, pulling her out of the room, down the stairs, and out of the inn.  
  
"Ooof…Where are we going?" Lydia asked as she finally was able to breathe normally.  
  
"I have no idea, but I didn't stop downstairs cause we were getting some crude looks from the patrons and I don't feel like getting into trouble right before I ask Xena and Gabrielle if I can stay with you guys."  
  
"Ah…Good point. So, where we gonna go?" Lydia looked down the street, hoping to find something looking like a tavern.  
  
"Hey there Ama-whore," an overweight, booze-smelling, man said to Lydia as he reached out and grabbed her by the waist.  
  
"Hey, just what do you think you're doing?" Tavi asked as she walked over to the man and grabbed his arm off her friend.  
  
He took Lydia by the waist again. "I like this Ama-whore. She's so small and...Here, let me whisper it to you," the man said, his face so close to Lydia's that she was dizzy from the smell of booze he gave off. He motioned Tavi to come over.  
  
So, Tavi complied and leaned over and heard what the guy said. She then winked at Lydia and said, "Yep, she is very beautiful. But, that's why you..."She quickly brought her left leg and connected with his jaw. "Can't." She did a series of attacks on his face, scratching, punching, and promptly breaking his nose. "Have her." she stated pointed out and started walking away. "C'mon, Lydia."  
  
Lydia just stood there in awe. Never before had she seen Tavi move that fast. Of course, it wasn't as fast as Lydia herself could go, but it shocked her nonetheless. "Oh…right. I'm coming!"  
  
"Ya know what? I think it would just be a better idea if we went back to the inn and I asked if I could stay. I would hate to get in a brawl and get thrown in jail or something my first night here and then put on my best puppy face, asking Xena and Gabrielle if I could stay. Doing all that behind bars, mind you," said Tavi sarcastically.  
  
Lydia only laughed, smiled at her friend and said, "Whatever you say, big sister." She chuckled again from the expression on her friend's face.  
  
"Oh brother. You aren't gonna start calling me that, are you?"  
  
"Yep, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." Lydia said defiantly, hands on hips in her trademark 'stubborn stance'.  
  
"Did I say anything about stopping you? No, I don't think so." Tavi replied, sticking her tongue out.  
  
"Oh, gonna play it that way, huh?" Lydia asked. "Fine." Lydia stuck her tongue out back at Tavi, then smirked afterwards.  
  
"C'mon, little sister. I'll race you back to the inn."  
  
Having said that, the two took off for the inn.  
  
  
  
"WHAT?!" Xena could feel her head throbbing. "Just when did she get here? Oh Gods...Are we starting an Amazon convention here or something?"  
  
Tavi crossed her arms over her chest impatiently. "No, we're just starting a 'who can beat the warrior princess club' and Lydia's the queen," she said sarcastically.  
  
Gabrielle snickered in the background, coming up behind her lover, who was counting to a thousand silently.  
  
Sensing her warrior had had enough, she replied, "Listen, we have to get to Rome and we have to get there fast. Another traveling partner will just slow us down."  
  
Lydia poked out her bottom lip and gave the bard doe eyes. "But Gabby," she whined, "why can't I bring my friend with me? It's not like she's going to drag her heels the entire way."  
  
The bard had to laugh at Lydia's expression, her resolve disintegrating. "I dunno--"  
  
"I'll stuff her in my pack if I have to, and I promise she won't slow us down!" said Lydia, jumping up and putting an arm around her friend's shoulders. When Tavi just scowled she elbowed her in the ribs to get a smile, which made the taller Amazon give her a forced grin that looked more like a grimace.  
  
Stuff me in her pack…puh, thought the older Amazon.  
  
Gabrielle's resolve disappeared and she sighed in defeat. "Okay."  
  
"Yes!" cried both girls, giving each other high fives.  
  
"This is gonna be so much fun… okay, first things first, come on!" said Lydia, dragging her friend out of the room.  
  
Gabrielle collapsed on the bed and covered herself with pillows. "How exactly do you get us into these messes?"  
  
"Me?! Whaddya mean?" protested Xena, plopping down next to her lover.  
  
"If you hadn't brought her along then we wouldn't be playing babysitter for two teenagers, now would we?" said Gabrielle bitterly from behind a large pillow.  
  
Xena laughed. "Don't worry…if they ask to go on dates I'll send them to you."  
  
Gabrielle hit the warrior upside the head with a pillow.  
  
  
  
Stone sighed as he finished wiping down the bar. Looking to his boss, he silently asked if he could leave. The man nodded and Stone slipped out into the dark streets of the village. As he slowly walked out of the city limits, the centaur thought about what had happened in the tavern that day. It had all started out when a band had heard Lydia singing…  
  
Gabrielle looked up as music drifted to her ears. A small band of about five men had begun to play Lydia's song by ear. The bard smiled at her young friend, then joined in the singing.  
  
"…oh well, brilliance comes and brilliance goes, but you're the only one that knows that nothing draws them in like sympathy! Hey, and as for all the broken ones, who make their way with poison tongues, the pillow they sleep on is misery. But you will not see me be nasty to a tree in this land of the free. How does it feel?" they sang together in perfect harmony.  
  
A crowd had gathered outside—and inside—the tavern, wondering who was singing. People were buying drinks and food to sit and enjoy the show, filling the tavern keeper's purse and making him resort to filling flower vases with money.  
  
Stone curiously poked his head from the kitchen, almost swallowing his tongue at the sight that met his eyes.  
  
Lydia was standing next to the youngest of the band members--a boy no older than seventeen--and was stroking his cheek ever so slightly as they danced together, bodies pressing into the other's. As they moved to the music, she concentrated on her feet as she sang.  
  
The centaur suddenly felt very hot. Lydia turned towards Stone and a smile broke out on her face. She winked at him and then turned back to the crowd watching her. The centaur almost collapsed on the spot.  
  
At that moment, he had felt his resolve almost totally dissipate. How was he going to turn her over to Lord Moloch now? His heart had suddenly overcome his mind. What if he—  
  
Before the centaur could finish his thought, a large hand grabbed him by the collar of his tunic and threw him twenty feet through the air. Stone crashed into a wooden crate, the wind knocked from his lungs. He groaned and looked up into a blurry face. "Moloch?"  
  
The huge centaur picked Stone up once again. "You were alone with her again and failed to bring her to me! Now, you listen to me, Bowellus Stone Bloodypach Resetius of Mogador, if I do not have that girl in shackles by sunset tomorrow you are going to be beaten, manacled, and burned alive. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
Stone gulped and nodded timidly. "It shall be done, Lord Moloch."  
  
Moloch threw the younger centaur down once again and snorted, kicking dust in Stone's face before galloping off.  
  
  
  
"So… what's up with you and this 'Stone' guy anyway?" asked Tavi as she nibbled on a pastry she and Lydia had weaseled from Gabrielle. "I mean, are you…?"  
  
Lydia shrugged, then replied, "We're not really an 'item'. We haven't done anything but talk and walk…that's it. Except for that one little lip-lock we had."  
  
"'Little'? Please explain what you think 'little is'."  
  
The petite Amazon licked her lips nervously, but smiled. "Um…how do I explain this?"  
  
"Short and simple. Tongue or no tongue?"  
  
Lydia's jaw dropped. "Tavi!"  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…but, just out of curiosity…tell me!" said the older girl. They both giggled for a second, then Lydia slumped on the bed in defeat.  
  
"Tongue."  
  
"Ha! Ha! I knew it! That centaur is no good! When we get back to Amazonia you're gonna be in so much trouble! Kissing an Amazon out of season is a major offense!" teased Tavi with a good-natured grin. "Ooh, you're in trouble!"  
  
Lydia socked Tavi a good one on the arm. "That's not funny. Besides, it was just one little kiss and we'll be leaving tomorrow." The last part was added in sadly.  
  
Tavi put an arm around her friend's shoulders. "Don't worry, Little Sis, we'll come an visit on the way back, huh?" she suggested, seeing that the small Amazon was not in the mood for the sharp retort she had in mind.  
  
"I think we better go to sleep before Xena and Gabrielle decide to dump us off somewhere between here and Rome," said Lydia with a grin.  
  
"Wouldn't want your poor little Neferiti to get sick, now would we?" said Tavi sarcastically. "I swear, that horse is evil."  
  
"She is not!" protested Lydia. "She's a sweet little zebra. What's she ever done to you?"  
  
"Let's see…she bit me, she bit me, and she bit me again!"  
  
"Did not! Neferiti wouldn't hurt a soul!" argued Lydia stubbornly. "She's never done anything to hurt me!"  
  
"That's because you two understand each other. You're both so stubborn that a donkey would look at you and say 'brat'." The taller Amazon quickly moved out of range before Lydia could smack her on the arm.  
  
"I'm gonna get you for that!"  
  
  
  
Stone picked up another rock and threw it at a window. It tapped on the sill then fell back to the ground, almost hitting a patron as he exited the tavern. After a few moments, the centaur threw another pebble at the window.  
  
This time it opened and a hand darted out, catching the rock. A face then appeared, smiling down at the young centaur. "What?" asked Lydia with a laugh. She tossed the rock back down to him.  
  
"Come with me! I have something to show you!" said Stone, shielding the sun with his eyes as he looked up to the window.  
  
Lydia considered it for a moment, then replied, "Sure! Give me a sec. I'll be right down!"  
  
The centaur went into the tavern and waited by the staircase for her. He waited a full thirty minutes before she finally appeared. "What took you so long?"  
  
"I'm a girl. It's in my blood," replied the Amazon with a grin. She gently kissed him on the lips and skipped out the door. "Let's go! I want to see whatever you have to show me!"  
  
Stone lowered his eyes guiltily as he followed her out.  
  
  
  
"So where exactly are we going?" asked Lydia as they headed into the woods. "I gotta be back before noon or Xena will have my hide."  
  
Stone sighed sadly, though making it inaudible to his companion. "Before you leave, I just wanna show you something. It's a surprise." He put his arm around her as they continued.  
  
"You know, since we're short on time, I wanted to tell you that I had a great time here. We didn't really do that much, but I know I'll be coming back to see you," said the girl quietly. "I've never felt this way before with another person. It's like…like--"  
  
"Magic," finished Stone. At that moment, his heart overruled his mind and he turned to her. "You have to get outta here, quick. Just turn and go and don't come back!"  
  
Lydia looked at him in confusion. "What? Stone, what're you talking abuot?"  
  
The centaur was about to reply, but a chorus of laughter erupted from the trees. Fifteen other centaurs made their presence known, surrounding Lydia and Stone.  
  
Moloch crossed his arms. "Welcome to hell on earth, Amazon."  
  
TBC… 


	2. Forgiven

1.1.1 Youthful Intuition  
  
1.1.1.1 Chapter 2—Conclusion to Chaos  
  
"Welcome to hell on earth," said Moloch menacingly. He raised his hand and gave her a sinister grin. Upon snapping his fingers, his centaurs began to move towards the little Amazon with their weapons waving.  
  
Lydia instinctively reached for a weapon—any weapon—but hadn't planned on this and was totally unarmed. She glared at Stone. "You!" Ignoring the advancing centaurs, the Amazon pounced on Stone. "You betrayed me! I'm going to kill you!" screamed the girl, punching Stone over and over again with the occasional obscene phrase.  
  
Stone made no attempt to defend himself, knowing this was all his fault.  
  
All his fault…  
  
The Amazon jumped up and began kicking him in the side mercilessly, still yelling every obscenity that came to mind. He had stolen her heart and soul…then thrown them down and stomped on them. Two centaurs grabbed her arms and she kicked one of them in the face, then twisted her body with so much force that the other flipped over and fell to the ground unconscious.  
  
"That's it!" she boomed, picking up a large stick.  
  
When the first centaur reached her, Lydia punched him square in the eye, then kicked his two front legs out from under him. Jumping on his hind quarters, she vaulted into the air and walked on the heads of the other centaurs, kicking them in the face as she did. Moloch was beginning to get mad. This girl dares to treat my herd like this?! She'll pay!  
  
The Amazon ducked a large fist and brought her hand up, delivering a staggering uppercut to the bay centaur's jaw. He rose up into the air from the sheer strength behind her blow, then fell back down with a loud thud. She whirled around and kicked another in the stomach. As he doubled over in pain, she kicked him in two of his knees, sending him tumbling to the ground.  
  
A palomino centaur charged her and she whacked him across the face with her stick, sending him flying into his comrades and knocking them all on the floor in a rumpled heap.  
  
Moloch shook his head and clapped his hands. That was it. This little Amazon had gone too far for his liking. And now was the time to make her pay. "Enough! Ravius!" The centaurs stopped attacking Lydia and backed up into the trees once again, out of sight.  
  
Lydia looked up as another centaur entered the clearing, his fur midnight black, his tail as white as newly-fallen snow.  
  
His eyes were also black.  
  
"You're the centaur that attacked me outside the village!" she said, mostly to herself. Her stick twirled nervously in her hands.  
  
Ravius punched a fist into his other hand, then produced from his belt an iron club. Without his porcelain mask, his eyes were even more menacing and hate-filled. A dark scar ran from his right temple down to the edge of his chin, making him look aged and experienced. Lydia hoped this situation was where one would say 'looks can be deceiving'.  
  
"YAARGH!" yelled the black-furred centaur, running towards Lydia.  
  
Lydia braced herself for the attack.  
  
Ducking his club, she rolled through his legs and then to her feet. He whirled around the best he could and charged her again, his war cry ringing through the air. This time his club came into contact with her chin before she could dodge it, sending the girl flying back into a tree with a sickening crack.  
  
Lydia wavered on the edge of unconsciousness. Before she passed out, she caught sight of the largest centaur approaching her and saying, "Take her to the dungeon. Tonight, she dies in the name of Ixion."  
  
  
  
Tavi jumped the last five stairs and almost ran into a barmaid. "Whoa, excuse me," she said quickly.  
  
"What're you doing running down the stairs like that?!" boomed the barmaid, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
The Amazon looked her up and down. She had midnight black hair and dark skin, wearing just a simple dress and slippers. She had to be at least sixteen, and was a full head taller than Tavi was, even wearing her heeled boots.  
  
"I was, uh, in a hurry," said Tavi timidly. Uh oh.  
  
"Do you have any idea how many guys I've had to give mouth to mouth 'cause they knocked themselves out running down the stairs? And you—what're you? Some kind of traveling exotic dancer?"  
  
Tavi chuckled in spite of herself. "No. I'm an Amazon."  
  
"Then why, may I ask, are you wearing a bikini?"  
  
"I am not!" protested the blonde girl. "It's Amazon leathers!" Okay, so her outfit did look like a bikini, but she wasn't about to admit that!  
  
"You're kidding, right? My mother would have my hide on a goddamned stick if I wore something like that! Not that I don't dress like that behind her back, but..."  
  
"Okay, I don't have time for this. I need to find my friend Lydia. Have you seen her? She's oh, about my size and wearing a 'bikini' like mine?" asked Tavi, rolling her eyes. Her foot tapped impatiently as the barmaid wracked her brain for a moment.  
  
"She went out for a walk with the centaur a few hours ago. I haven't seen either of 'em since," replied the barmaid with a shrug.  
  
"Alright, thanks!"  
  
"Hey, what's your name?"  
  
"Tavi, you?"  
  
"My name's Deidra, nice to meet ya," said the older girl, holding out her hand.  
  
Tavi clasped wrists with her and ran off to find Xena.  
  
  
  
"She's been gone for three hours, Xena! I know Lydia, and she'd never stay out that long without her staff," argued Tavi, holding up Lydia's iron staff.  
  
Xena put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Lydia can take care of herself, Tavi."  
  
"No, seriously, we have to go find her!"  
  
The warrior sighed and firmly planted her tongue in her cheek.  
  
"I'm not joking, Xena," said the young girl solemnly.  
  
"Alright, we'll go find her. Just get me Argo and we'll be on our way," said Xena after a long silence. After all, Tavi did know Lydia better than she…  
  
Gabrielle came running up to them, out of breath. "Xena, Neferiti's gone crazy. She broke out of her stall and is coming this way!" said the bard, pointing at the approaching zebra.  
  
Xena pushed Tavi and Gabrielle into the bushes, then quickly jumped into the air, coming down on Neferiti's back. She grabbed the zebra's mane and pulled her to an abrupt halt. "Whoa, girl, easy there, everything's fine," crooned the warrior as she dismounted. "What's wrong with you today, Neferiti? Is it Lydia?"  
  
The mare reared up on her hind legs, then came back down and began to nod her head furiously.  
  
"Gabrielle! Come on, get that 'horse' of yours. We've gotta find Lydia," shouted Xena.  
  
"You asked the horse?" Gabrielle said in disbelief. "And you wouldn't listen to Tavi?"  
  
"Never underestimate the power of the bond between a person and their horse. Argo knows when I'm in trouble, and I bet you anything Neferiti can sense her mistress's distress," said the warrior.  
  
Tavi began to run towards the stalls. "I'll get the other horses!"  
  
  
  
Lydia jerked into consciousness as rancid water was splashed on her face. She coughed a few times and looked up wearily. Moloch's smug face was the first thing to come into focus.  
  
"Welcome back, Amazon," said the huge centaur, crossing his arms across his chest.  
  
Lydia spat blood at his silver hooves. Moloch roared and slapped her across the face, sending her as flying far as her chains would allow, which was only about two feet. The metal dug into her wrists and ankles, causing them to bleed.  
  
"That was not a wise choice," he said angrily.  
  
The Amazon put a hand to her bleeding temple and winced.  
  
"And there's a lot more where that came from. Lydia, Lydia, Lydia, you have six whole hours to live. How does it feel?" asked Moloch tauntingly. He bent down so that they were face to face.  
  
Lydia turned away defiantly. She wouldn't—couldn't submit to this horrible, horrible man. The only power he had over her was fear and pain; there was no respect mixed up in there. If he wanted to break her, he'd better grab a cup of tea and prepare to be disappointed.  
  
"You answer me when I'm speaking to you, whore!" The centaur grabbed her by the hair, flinging her against the wall so hard she was knocked out cold once again. He wasn't about to tolerate that from a prisoner or a—a mere girl at that! She had spirit, he gave that to her, but too much headstrong power could be bad for his reign. He had to show the centaurs that he commanded everything in his grasp. Then they would worship him, not Ixion.  
  
And this Amazon was the key.  
  
  
  
Xena ran her hand over a blood-covered tree. "Dear gods they might've killed her," she said quietly to herself. Fear for the little Amazon began to squeeze at her heart. So much blood… Wiping the substance on her leathers, she turned to Gabrielle and Tavi. "I think we should keep looking. Whoever's got her was riding horses…many horses. We need to follow the tracks until we find something. Come on." The warrior turned Argo and they began towards the east.  
  
"What do you think happened to her?" asked Tavi sullenly.  
  
Gabrielle looked down at the road for a second, then back up at the girl. "Honestly, I don't have a clue. But wherever she is, we'll find her. Xena's a pro at the whole 'capture-and-rescue' thing."  
  
Tavi sighed and fingered the reins of her paint. Xena backed Argo up so that she was parallel with her two traveling companions. "They're clever. I found three different hoof print paths. So each one of us is going to have to take one and eventually meet up somewhere. If you find wherever Lydia is hidden, try your best not to get caught, okay?" She looked to Tavi. "Can you handle it?"  
  
"Yeah. Thing is, Lydia has a weakness when fighting groups. She only spars with a maximum of five people, and if there's more than that she'll lose. That's why Varia doesn't put her in battle and that's probably why she lost to her captors," said the Amazon. "But I can handle groups. She's been my sparring partner for years and I've always been able to hold my own against twelve people when she can't handle half of them."  
  
Xena nodded with a smile. "Good. I don't want to have two missing Amazons on my list of things I have to set right, now do I? Gabrielle, go left. I'll go down the middle and Tavi, you go right."  
  
They split up down their separate paths, each wondering where—or what—it led to…  
  
  
  
Stone groaned and opened his eyes, coming face to face with Ravius. "Urgh…"  
  
Ravius laughed evilly. "Well, sleepy-head, it looks like you finally got yourself in too deep with a mission. Moloch should've sent me to get her. I could've done it myself," spat the older centaur to his childhood rival.  
  
"He did send you and you failed," countered Stone bitterly. He groaned again. There was a throbbing in his temples that he just couldn't shake and Ravius's pointless taunting wasn't helping any.  
  
"Yes, but that's only because that whore of a warrior woman intervened. I almost had her," said the older centaur. They gave each other a cold glare.  
  
"And for your information, Moloch is very angry about your attempt to let her escape. But since you're his favorite and all, he's not going to kill you. He's going to break you, along with that little love of yours. He's going to make you watch that Amazon die slowly, slowly having the life choked out of her," whispered Ravius, locking eyes with Stone in a hateful gaze. "To die in the waters of Thebes."  
  
Stone tried to get up, but found he was tied to the healer's table. "I'm going to kill every last one of you if she dies." He never broke eye contact with the older centaur.  
  
Ravius tsked his fellow centaur. "Such resolve. But it seems to me that the one you plan to die for hates your guts. It would be a shame to waste yourself on hatred, wouldn't it?"  
  
"You would know."  
  
The dark centaur slapped Stone across the face, his hand making an imprint in the young centaur's cheek. "Save your smart-ass retorts for the souls at the River Styx, for that's where you're going if you ever betray us again!"  
  
  
  
Gabrielle reined her horse and looked around. She had come to the side of a mountain, which extended as far as she could see. Dismounting her horse, the bard drew her sais carefully. A twig snapped and Gabrielle whirled around, emerald eyes searching the forest. Seeing nothing, she turned back to the mountainside and began to walk along it. Her boots made only the softest sound as she prepared to round a corner. I've read a scroll like this before. There's no one on the other side… I'm just paranoid.  
  
She turned the corner and promptly ducked a scythe. "Guess I was wrong," she mused to herself, dropping to the ground and rolling through a centaur's legs. Kicking them out from under him, she looked up to find three more centaurs waiting.  
  
  
  
Xena dismounted Argo and stepped up to the mountainside, running her hand along it. Her fierce blue eyes turned up to the sky, then back to the wall in front of her. Something wasn't right…  
  
It was too quiet. No birds chirped, no squirrels chattered, the wind wasn't even blowing. Just dead silence.  
  
The warrior closed her eyes and listened for any sound at all. After a small eternity she drew her chakram and hurled it into the trees. It bounced around inside the trees until three centaurs emerged from the brush with minor injuries on their hind quarters.  
  
Xena caught her chakram and looked the large centaurs up and down. "Okay, boys, you wanna play? Let's."  
  
  
  
Gabrielle parried her current opponent's pike and pushed him back. While he tried to regain his balance, she knocked him unconscious with the hilt of her sais. The next centaur had a spear. He charged the bard, spear held protectively in front of him. The woman ducked, turned around, and kicked him in the hind quarters so he went sprawling to the ground with a loud 'oof.' Her next adversary, with pinto fur, was smart: he turned and ran.  
  
The bard, knowing he would retreat to his base, or at least somewhere of use in the search for Lydia, mounted her horse and quickly galloped after him.  
  
  
  
Xena teasingly hopped back another foot, just out of range of the centaurs' weapons. She stuck her tongue out at them, then kicked the nearest one in the chin. He went flying back into a tree and didn't get back up. Turning to the last two, she raised an eyebrow and smiled.  
  
"Hey, look, isn't that Sappho?" called the warrior, pointing behind them. Please let them be stupid, please let them be stupid… When the two centaurs turned around, she knocked their heads together. Yes! They're stupid, all right!  
  
They both fell to the floor and one remained conscious. She put The Pinch on him.  
  
"I've just cut off the flow of blood to your brain. You'll be dead in thirty seconds unless you tell me where you're keeping the Amazon," she whispered in his ear menacingly. "Twenty seconds."  
  
"Two miles east of here. A large cavern, you can't miss it," he choked.  
  
Xena released The Pinch and mounted Argo. "By the time you regain feeling I'll be raiding your base. Just so ya know." She winked at him tauntingly, then turned her horse and galloped off.  
  
  
  
Tavi dismounted her mare and looked up in awe at the cavern before her. "Dear gods," she muttered. "That has to be half a mile high!" The entry to the huge cave went high up into the mountain, towering over trees and sending shudders down the spines of those who ever laid eyes on it. Like it was cursed or something.  
  
Stepping forward, she looked around for guards. Surprisingly, there were none. The Amazon nervously fingered her staff as she entered, brown eyes darting around for any signs of an attack. Something moved behind her and she whirled around in a fighting position, but found no one.  
  
Lowering her staff, she continued through the cave. It seemed endless; she could barely make out the stairway at the end of the huge hall. Gigantic stalactites and stalagmites were everywhere, creating pillar-like structures that gleamed with an unknown light. Water dripped from these massive rock forms, the sound echoing from wall to wall and slowly fading away.  
  
Suddenly, a hand clamped over Tavi's mouth. She screamed and tried to elbow whoever it was, but they caught her wrist and held it. The Amazon recognized Xena's gauntlets and sighed with relief. When the older woman released her she scowled. "Don't do that!"  
  
Xena put a finger to her lips, then gestured to Gabrielle, who dragged an unconscious pinto centaur behind her.  
  
"This placed isn't empty. We're being watched," whispered the warrior, straightening up. She looked around a few times, then gestured for them to move forward.  
  
"How did you find this place?" whispered Tavi.  
  
"Improvisation," replied Xena. She held up a hand and they halted. "Left!"  
  
Gabrielle brought her left elbow up and rammed a centaur in the face, breaking his nose and knocking him unconscious. She moved out of the way as he crashed to the ground with an echoing thud.  
  
Xena smiled and mouthed, 'Nice.'  
  
The bard grinned back.  
  
  
  
Lydia woke up and found herself inside a giant tank. She wiped the dry blood from her face and stood, hitting her clenched fists against the walls. "Hey! Let me out!" she screamed, looking around helplessly. There was no way out of it. The top had been sealed off, with the exception of three small holes to let air in and out.  
  
The young Amazon began to tear up as she realized the severity of this situation. A cult-type herd of bloodthirsty centaurs wanted her dead. They had her manacled and inside a hopeless prison.  
  
No way out.  
  
She sniffled, then caught sight of white horse fur. The girl pressed her face against the wall, glaring at Stone. He too was chained, but in a position so that he was staring straight at her.  
  
He struggled as he noticed Lydia looking at him, but he was no match for the steel chains. Lydia stared into his eyes, making sure to make her hatred for him known. She wanted nothing to do with him. The thought of what he had done to her made her want to die. Her heart was aching, breaking, and the one person that had done it was going to live.  
  
This was all his fault. He had captured her trust. He had led her to the centaurs, unarmed and vulnerable. It was his fault she was going to die. She pounded her hand against the plastic, then angrily plopped on the ground and wiped away the tears. 'Never let them see you cry' that's what Varia says… she reminded herself tearfully.  
  
  
  
"Back!"  
  
Gabrielle flipped her leg back and kicked a lipizzaner-looking centaur in the stomach, making him double up on the floor in pain.  
  
Tavi was in awe. Just a word from Xena and Gabrielle kicked another centaur's butt. At this rate the dynamic duo was going to pick off the whole herd one by one. They had already left a trail of about twenty or so unconscious centaurs behind them. Finally, they came to the staircase at the end of the hall. Xena was the first to go up, followed by Gabrielle, and then Tavi bringing up the rear.  
  
  
  
Moloch laughed as he watched Xena, Gabrielle, and that cursed Amazon so willingly go up the stairwell and into his trap. It was all too easy…and he had expected a challenge from the great warrior princess and battling bard…but alas, they were about to die—for good. He leaned over and whispered to Ravius, "Now. Do it."  
  
Ravius bowed and galloped toward the staircase. He felt around the walls, then found what he was reaching for--a piece of gasoline-drenched rope. The dark centaur struck two rocks together, creating a spark, and lit the rope. Instantly, the fire began to burn up the stairwell and towards the three 'unsuspecting' women.  
  
  
  
Xena stopped and sniffed the air. "Smell that?"  
  
Gabrielle nodded. "Yeah. Fire."  
  
"We gotta get outta here. Fast," said the warrior, turning around. "Go, Tavi! Run and don't you dare look back!"  
  
The young Amazon turned and began running down the steps three by three, Xena and Gabrielle hot on her heels. They passed the rising flame and Xena urged them to go faster. The end of the stairs was just in sight. Tavi and Gabrielle flung themselves out into the main hall, landing in front of the stairwell and covering the base of their necks. Jumping down the last five steps, Xena flew from the doorway just before a thundering explosion swept through the stairs. She fell to the ground and covered the back of her neck like her two companions.  
  
A few moments later, the fire died and the trio raised their heads, coughing from the still-settling dust filling their noses.  
  
Ooh, that had been close. The back of Xena's leathers had been badly singed and her boots were all but burned off. She quickly removed the footwear and grabbed a flaming piece of wood.  
  
"Clever. Very clever," she muttered to herself. Looking around, she saw the real passageway…hidden in the shadows and revealed by her torch. "Over here."  
  
  
  
Moloch took a deep breath as he sharpened his knife. The centaurs were bowed before him, chanting in an ancient dialect. His shallow gray eyes traveled to Lydia, who was curled up in a fetal position inside her cage. What a pleasure it was for him to see the Amazon suffer.  
  
And Stone. Moloch looked to the blonde centaur, who was desperately trying to escape his shackles. He would pay for trying to betray them. This was too good perfect. He couldn't have planned it better himself. Not only had he broken and was about to kill an Amazon warrior, but his troops were soon to learn just what would happen if they betrayed their herd: by the means of Stone's suffering.  
  
"Centaurs, we have in our grasps the Amazon Queen's Champion, Lydia. It's not often that such a young girl is chosen to defend the Queen's honor, and in this case she's still a virgin. That makes her prime meat for our sacrifice to Ixion. The ultimate warrior with a soul of purity. We offer that to you, Ixion!"  
  
He looked up at the girl and smiled evilly. "She shall drown in the waters of Thebes." The old centaur brought his knife down on a vine, which started a chain reaction that sent water tumbling down onto Lydia.  
  
Lydia turned to the ceiling, the water coming down like sharp, cold knives as they splashed on the Amazon's face. This is it, she thought. I'm gonna die.  
  
  
  
Xena burst through the door in front of her, horrified to see Lydia up to her neck in water. But then again, she was so short that…The warrior knocked the musings from her mind and looked up at the seemingly lead centaur, who was all but grinning at her as she entered. "Give me the girl."  
  
Moloch threw his head back as he laughed. "Give you the girl?"  
  
"Is there an echo in here?" mumbled Tavi sarcastically.  
  
"Give us Lydia," boomed Xena, drawing her sword. "Now!"  
  
"Do you really think that sword intimidates us? Centaurs, clear out. I want this one," said Moloch amusedly. The centaurs all situated themselves around Lydia's cage, preventing anyone from getting near it.  
  
Gabrielle worriedly put a hand on Xena's shoulder. "Xena, he's ten feet tall! Are you sure you want to fight him?"  
  
"Just get Lydia out of there," whispered the warrior, noting that the girl was now swimming in the water. Just a few more feet and she'd drown. The bard nodded and looked to Tavi, who was staring at Lydia intently. If they didn't get the girl out in less than five minutes, Tavi's little sister would die.  
  
Die.  
  
That was a word Tavi didn't often associate with Lydia. For years she'd thought of the younger Amazon as invincible. She seemed that way most of the time, like when they were training or just doing their chores. But then again, she'd never seen Lydia in love before. It had weakened her…and now she was going to die.  
  
Three small letters; one big word.  
  
"Come on," said the Amazon, grabbing Gabrielle's wrist. "I have an idea."  
  
  
  
Lydia looked back up at the ceiling, which was closing in on her quickly. Her air was running out, it would soon be over. The plastic was too thick for Gabrielle, Tavi, or Xena to break very easily. And by the time they got past the centaurs, she'd be dead. Her mind no longer found solace in thinking she'd be saved. She saw no point in holding out hope anymore. Finally, someone had conquered her. All her friends had warned her about it; they had told her to be careful. That someone better was always out there.  
  
But she had never given their words more than a brief consideration. 'In the meantime, I'll be preparing for them' she had replied with a smile. The young Amazon had always knew she would die someday, probably at the hand of the one person who finally defeated her, but she never expected it this soon. How she wished she was back with her friends in Amazonia. Her weary brown eyes turned to Stone, who was looking at her with the most sorrowful gaze she had ever seen. Swimming over to the wall, she pressed her hand against it, fingers spread apart.  
  
Stone saw the gesture and held his own hand up, making it so that his hand covered hers from his point of view.  
  
"I'm sorry," he whispered.  
  
Lydia just pushed herself into the middle of her underwater grave and tried to suck the last of the oxygen from the remaining sliver of air before giving up and letting herself slowly sink down, down...  
  
  
  
"Hello boys," said Gabrielle with a condescending smile. "Look, I was just wondering if we could skip the fighting part and you could just let me by?" Tavi quietly slipped behind them while Gabrielle had their attention, looking up at the tank her friend was being held in.  
  
  
  
Moloch's sword collided with Xena's, sending sparks flying everywhere. They pushed against the other's weapon in a test of strength. The huge centaur sent Xena sprawling to the ground. She brought her sword up, parrying his swing by a fraction of an inch. Rolling to her feet, she ducked another swipe and delivered her own, slashing him across the arm.  
  
A cry of pain and angst left the centaur's lips, but he didn't stop his assault. He cut Xena's leg, causing her to loose her footing for a tenth of a second. Moloch took advantage of her imbalance and knocked her to the floor with a strong punch. Xena put a hand to her stinging cheek and glanced up at him, smirking defiantly. There was no way she was going to show him that that had hurt like hell.  
  
He approached her and brought his sword back for the killing blow. That was all Xena needed to win. She jabbed her sword through his stomach, making him stop dead in his tracks...  
  
Blood spilled from Moloch's mouth as Xena withdrew her sword. He quickly put his hand over the wound and fell to his knees—or two of them at least. Looking up at the warrior, a small grin spread over his face. He was happy. He wanted to die. Xena closed her eyes as he fell to the ground, dead. She took a moment to regain herself, then looked up at the tank. Lydia was floating limply in the water, slowly sinking as air bubbles seeped from her lips.  
  
Gabrielle was fending off at least fifteen centaurs, and Tavi was trying to get past a particularly large one.  
  
"Hey, you big lummox!" called Xena. The centaur that had been attacking Tavi stopped. Xena vaulted through the air and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying across the room and into the wall. As he struggled to his feet, Xena nodded to Tavi.  
  
Tavi picked up Lydia's staff and struck the tank with all her strength.  
  
BOOM! The walls of the tank shattered, sending hundreds of gallons of water and glass down on the centaurs. Gabrielle held onto a rock embedded in the ground while Xena clutched a tree root protruding from the floor. The centaurs were washed away, screaming and yelling.  
  
After the water died down, Tavi wiped her eyes and looked up. Lydia was lying on the ground, unmoving. The older Amazon jumped to her feet and ran over to the shorter girl, pulling her into her arms. She gently tapped Lydia on the face, relieved when the young girl coughed up a considerable amount of water and began to sob hysterically.  
  
"Come on, little sister, calm down. It's alright," whispered Tavi, gently rocking a sobbing Lydia.  
  
Lydia clung to her friend as she cried. "I was so—so scared that I would—d- die…" she said through heart-wrenching sobs. "They're gonna come get me! I gotta go!" she screamed, struggling against her friend. "Let me go! Don't let them get me, please!"  
  
Tavi kissed the girl's forehead and prevented her from fighting. "You're okay, now little sister. I've got you. The centaurs are gone," crooned the older girl. "I gotcha. Don't worry. You're safe now. Shhh…" She rocked the younger girl back and forth comfortingly.  
  
  
  
"AAACHOOO!" Lydia sneezed into the fire, almost falling face-first into it.  
  
"Bless you," said Gabrielle with a grin. She put the frying pan on the fire and took a seat next to the ailing girl. "You gonna be okay?"  
  
"Of course-" Sniffle. "-it's not like-" Sniffle. "-I'm gonna die from a minor cold." Sniffle.  
  
"First of all, you have the flu, not a 'minor cold'. And second of all, you can die from it," corrected the bard. "But that's not what I was talking about."  
  
Lydia blew her nose before replying, "Then what are you talking about?" She pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders and sniffled. Gabrielle gave Lydia her best 'Xena Look'.  
  
"Okay, fine…what about him?" asked the younger Amazon, saying 'him' as if it were a horrible swear word.  
  
It had been three days since her encounter with the centaurs and they hadn't heard from Stone or any of the other centaurs since. Rumor was that a good deal of the herd had been washed miles up the Tiber River, which, incidentally, ran by the main centaur village and they had been dropped there.  
  
Xena had released Stone from his chains, then told him never to show his face to her again or she'd kill him on sight. And he didn't have to be told twice to leave.  
  
Gabrielle put an arm around Lydia's shoulders with a sigh. "Love hurts, huh?" the bard said with a little smile.  
  
"How would you know? Xena would never do anything to hurt you," said the girl quietly. She leaned her head on Gabrielle's comfortable shoulder.  
  
The bard laughed. "I was married to a man once," she said, stroking Lydia's dark hair.  
  
"You were?"  
  
"Yep. We were married one whole day…then Callisto killed him."  
  
"What did Xena do in the meantime?"  
  
Gabrielle shrugged. "Chased Callisto…Pitied herself."  
  
"Did you love him? I mean, the way he loved you?" asked Lydia with growing interest.  
  
"I dunno if I did…I was betrothed to him since birth and had always loved him as a friend and tried to convince myself that there was something more, but I guess deep down in my heart I knew I wasn't meant to be with him. Then Xena came along…and you know the rest."  
  
Lydia thoughtfully stared into the fire. "Wow…"  
  
"So…you wanna talk about your love life tragedies now?" asked Gabrielle with a grin. She wrapped her other arm around Lydia, who had begun to shiver involuntarily. "Can't be as bad as mine."  
  
The young girl laughed in spite of herself and sniffed. "Really isn't much to say. I hate his guts and the last thing I wanna do is make up with him."  
  
Gabrielle chuckled. "I guess that covers it all, huh?"  
  
"Basically."  
  
The bard smiled at the girl resting on her shoulder. "Time to get some sleep. Come on, Xena will kill me if she comes back tomorrow and you still have that fever."  
  
Xena and Tavi had stayed back to totally destroy the inside of the cavern Lydia had been held captive in. Just before they left, Xena found a large supply of black powder and gasoline hidden all over the cavern. It would be dangerous if in the wrong hands, so Xena had shooed Lydia and Gabrielle away so she and Tavi could get rid of it all, which happened to involve a big boom that would hurt anyone who couldn't run out fast enough and someone needed to take care of Lydia...  
  
"Okay…" Yawn. "But tomorrow you're going to tell me the whole story about this guy you married. I wanna know."  
  
"Alright, just get some sleep, huh?" She gave Lydia a light peck on the forehead. "G'night."  
  
"G'night," mumbled the girl as she lay down. She was fast asleep before she hit her pillow.  
  
  
  
The next morning, Gabrielle rolled from her bedroll with a groan. Without her warrior mattress, the ground was as hard as stone. The bard touched Lydia's forehead and winced as she felt the still-raging fever. For three days she had been trying to get it to come down, but the fever was just as stubborn as Lydia. Xena would know what to do…she would be back any minute.  
  
Settling down on a log, the bard sighed as she stared at the sleeping girl. Lydia's features were tight, her face drawn into a frown as she slept. Every now and then she would twitch or roll over restlessly. Her eyes swiveled around in their sockets.  
  
The bard remembered when Xena slept like that. The warrior would lash out in her sleep, screaming and crying every now and then from nightmares. Even the first night she had ever spent in Xena's company, the warrior had begun to yell out things in a deep slumber. At first it had terrified Gabrielle, then she learned to hold Xena, to calm her…and, eventually, she would calm down.  
  
That had been thirty-two years ago. A shiver ran down Gabrielle's spine. Ooh, that was a long time ago.  
  
"Hey!" called an all-too familiar voice.  
  
Gabrielle looked up as Xena and Tavi approached on horseback. She stood up and ran to greet them.  
  
Xena dismounted Argo and swept Gabrielle into her arms, kissing her deeply. "Missed ya," whispered the warrior. They rubbed noses affectionately, then Gabrielle began to laugh as her warrior began dancing with her around and around.  
  
Tavi rolled her eyes at the two and wandered over to Lydia, who was still in a restless sleep.  
  
"I wouldn't wake her. She's still got a high fever," called Gabrielle, who was currently bent over backwards so far that her head almost touched the ground, with Xena leaning over her and quietly singing a song in her ear. "Xena! Stop!"  
  
Xena dropped her lover, receiving a glare in return. "You said stop," defended the warrior innocently. She laughed and helped the bard up.  
  
"She still has that fever?" asked Tavi in concern for her friend.  
  
"Yeah. I can't get it to go down even a little," said Gabrielle with a sigh. She looked to Xena, who was thoughtfully stroking her jaw line. "What're you gonna do, Xe?"  
  
Xena planted her tongue in her cheek, like she always did when arguing with herself over something, and called Argo over. Reaching inside the mare's saddlebags, she pulled out a metal probe. "If I have to do this, it'll hurt like hell."  
  
Tavi was now sitting against a tree with Lydia pulled into her arms. "It's okay, Little Sister, Xena will take care of everything. You'll be fine," whispered the older Amazon into Lydia's ear.  
  
Xena came over and inspected a deep cut on Lydia's thigh. "Yeah, it's infected. I'm going to have to—"  
  
"I know, I know! Skip the explanation and just get on with it!" snapped Tavi.  
  
Xena ignored the Amazon's outburst and began to heat the end of her probe. "Gabrielle, I want you to hold her legs. This'll probably wake her up and I don't need any more bruises than I already have." The bard nodded and settled herself with one hand on each of Lydia's legs. She licked her lips, knowing full well how much this was going to hurt.  
  
"Okay, here we go…" Xena pressed the end of the probe into Lydia's wound, reopening it and beginning to burn away at the infected flesh.  
  
Lydia's eyes flew open and she grunted in pain, refusing to scream. Her brown eyes swiveled around from person to person, barely able to register where she was from the fever. She tried to move her legs, but was firmly held down by Gabrielle. "Let me go!" the young Amazon cried angrily.  
  
"Just a little longer," said Xena. She finished her work and pulled the probe away, looking up as her patient began to struggle some more. "Don't fight, Lydia. It'll only hurt more."  
  
The young Amazon settled down and idly clutched Gabrielle's hand, mumbling to herself.  
  
Xena wrapped the wound and put her hands on her knees. "All done. Sorry you had to be awake through that, but…" She immediately began mixing some herbs together.  
  
"Are you alright?" asked Tavi worriedly, noting how cloudy her friend's eyes were.  
  
"Fine," replied the younger Amazon groggily.  
  
"Drink," ordered Xena, holding a mug to Lydia's lips.  
  
The girl looked from Gabrielle to Tavi then to Xena. Although reluctant, she drank the bitter liquid.  
  
"Good girl. That'll help you go back to sleep and bring down the fever."  
  
Lydia glanced up at the warrior sleepily. "Okey dokey…" she mumbled before drifting off.  
  
"Sure works fast," mused Tavi, standing up. "Look, I gotta get back to Amazonia for my warrior's festival. Promise you'll take care of my little sister for me?" She glanced down at the snoozing Amazon.  
  
"Of course we will. Promised Varia I'd return her champion in one piece," replied Xena with a wide smile. "Hope your festival goes well. And don't drink."  
  
Tavi laughed and picked up her pack. "See ya. Tell Lydia I said 'bye'."  
  
"We will."  
  
  
  
Stone poked at his fire absent-mindedly. "What a fool I am," he thought out loud. "Falling for the one I had to capture. Then trying to set it right. What was I thinking?"  
  
He paused.  
  
"I was thinking my heart was the one that had been captured, not Lydia. Damn, I really screwed up this time. What am I going to do?" A lone tear slipped from his eye as he held his head in his hands.  
  
  
  
Lydia opened one eye and glanced over at Xena and Gabrielle, who were peacefully snuggled up in their bedroll, fast asleep. She pulled back the covers that had been holding her body heat hostage and rose, disappearing into the forest without a sound.  
  
Funny how peaceful things can be around me when I'm so torn up inside, thought the young Amazon as she ventured through the trees. Her eyes watered up with tears at the thought of him…of Stone. She sat on a log, leaning against a tree trunk behind her. He betrayed me…tried to have me killed. I almost died!  
  
'But so did he.' That little voice argued.  
  
If he hadn't acted like he loved me in the first place then--  
  
'You said it. You said he loves you.'  
  
No! I said he ACTED like he loveD me. Emphasis on the 'd'. He obviously doesn't love me anymore, but more likely he never did.  
  
'But he tried to help you escape. He told you to get outta there.'  
  
I'm not going to argue with myself over something that's done and gone!  
  
Lydia buried her face in her hands. The little voice was right. Stone had told her to run, to get away before it was to late. He had betrayed his herd, his family, just for her. Silent tears streamed down her face. Looking up to the sky, she said a prayer to the one she believed could help her.  
  
"One God, help me. I'm torn between forgiving him and ripping his throat out for almost getting me killed. He has my heart, and from what I understand, I supposedly have his. My discipline as an Amazon warrior tells me that he should be punished for betraying me. But my heart tells me he risked his own life to save mine and I should forgive and forget. What do I do?" she asked the nighttime sky.  
  
Nothing but the twinkling stars moved to answer her oh-so-desperate question. Lydia jumped as a callused hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up into the gently smiling face of Xena.  
  
"Having a chat with Him?" asked the warrior, settling herself down on the log next to the girl.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Get an answer?"  
  
"Nope…silent as stars," replied the Amazon, looking up at the shining dots thoughtfully. "Xena, what did you do that night Gabrielle married Perdicus?" She turned to the older warrior.  
  
Xena chuckled. "Chased Callisto…Wallowed in self-pity. That was the day I realized I loved her…guess I was just afraid to admit it before Perdicus waltzed right into our lives and proposed to her. Just went to show how much of a coward I am when it comes to emotions."  
  
"You're not a coward, Xena. Everyone gets afraid to admit they love someone, no matter the circumstances."  
  
Xena looked at the girl with a small smile on her face.  
  
Lydia sighed in defeat. "And I just solved my problem for myself, didn't I?"  
  
"Sure did. I'm not saying you should track him down and marry him," she paused as they shared a chuckle, "But I saw you two together and there's a spark between the both of you that I've seen only once before...between Gabrielle and me."  
  
"A good spark?"  
  
Xena socked the younger warrior on the arm. "I'm not joking. Even though you two are too young to decide anything major, I think you should consider your heart before your stubborn little mind gets too carried away. But there is a chance you've stumbled upon your one and only soulmate." She winked at the girl and stood up. "Shall we?" asked the older woman, holding out her arm.  
  
Lydia hooked her arm through Xena's. "Let's."  
  
  
  
The next morning, after receiving a firm scolding for going out alone during the night from none other than Gabrielle, Lydia happily informed her traveling companions that her fever was totally gone. After that, the entire camp began to breathe easier. Xena glanced up at Gabrielle with a grin as she folded the bedrolls. The bard mouthed 'what?' and tilted her head towards Lydia, who was whistling as she stomped out the fire. "Do I get another kiss on the cheek today?" called the warrior.  
  
"Huh? What?" asked Lydia, her foot hanging in the air as she halted mid- stomp.  
  
"You're in a good mood again. Did you meet someone tall, dark and deadly out in the forest last night?" teased Gabrielle. "I know I absolutely love that type."  
  
Lydia laughed in spite of herself. "No, I didn't meet anyone like that. If I had then I would probably be introducing you to my newest significant other, wouldn't I?"  
  
"You like the darks ones too?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"It's the leather."  
  
"Yup."  
  
Xena scowled. "Thank you, both of you. I knew you loved me for a reason, Gabrielle," she snorted sarcastically.  
  
"It's the leather," replied the bard. Gabrielle and Lydia laughed as Xena's scowl grew bigger. "I'm sorry, Love. We're just playing with you," she apologized, giving Xena a light kiss.  
  
Xena wrapped her arms around Gabrielle's waist and began to whisper things in her ear that made the bard get flustered.  
  
Lydia's smile slowly faded as she watched them. They were so happy together…she wanted that. There was always a formula for when they were together in public: Xena being all protective and gruff, while Gabrielle was usually the protected one with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. But when they were in private, both Xena and Gabrielle would banter playfully until Gabrielle ended it with a remark like "You're so cute when you argue, Xe" and then they would kiss. It happened the same way every single day.  
  
And those intimate little touches they shared. Gabrielle's hand on Xena's arm. Xena's hand covering Gabrielle's.  
  
The young Amazon always found herself staring at the two while they cuddled. Xena would wrap her arms around her soulmate, pulling the bard into her lap as they sat by their fire late at night. The warrior would whisper into Gabrielle's ear things that Lydia could only guess weren't exactly proper for her virgin ears…and/or private romantic things.  
  
A sigh escaped her lips. Oh well. Since I'm too young to be cynical, I'm happy for them.  
  
  
  
Lydia grinned impishly as she split another log of wood. "Okay, I never thought of this as a tension reliever but slicing things in half sure works!" she thought out loud, placing another log on the block.  
  
THWACK! BOP. BOP.  
  
Ah, the sweet sounds of an Amazon splitting wood.  
  
THWACK! BOP. BOP.  
  
THWACK! BOP. BOP.  
  
THCRUNCH!  
  
Lydia dropped her axe and cringed. She glanced around to see if anyone had witnessed that incredibly dumb mistake, then inconspicuously removed the very large rock from her chopping stump. Looking at the axe, she cringed again and slapped a hand to her forehead. The blade was…  
  
Um, what blade?  
  
"Okay, okay, don't panic. I'll just… oh, no that'll never work!" said Lydia to herself as she stomped over the shattered pieces of axe blade. "Damn it all, now what am I going to do?!"  
  
"Want this?"  
  
Lydia whirled around and held her boot dagger against the neck of a centaur. "Stone, what're you doing here? Xena'll kill you if she sees your worthless hide," she hissed, staring into his dark blue eyes. "But she won't get the chance if I kill you first, now will she?" The Amazon tightened the blade against the tender neck of his skin.  
  
"I have a present," he said coolly, holding up a brand new axe.  
  
"Puh-lease don't tell me you 'just happened' to have an axe when I snapped the blade off mine," said the girl, rolling her eyes.  
  
"I have another present." The centaur held out her staff, primed and polished.  
  
"Big whoop. I could've gotten another one."  
  
"I have another present," he said once again, holding up a bouquet of blue and white flowers.  
  
Lydia bent down and snatched up some flowers from under her foot, which held the same quality and color of the ones he had brought.  
  
"I have another present." He produced from his pocket a necklace with a shining gold amulet hanging off the silver chain.  
  
Getting annoyed with this little game, Lydia took the necklace and rubbed the amulet, barely containing a smile as she gold rubbed off and revealed that the amulet was copper. "It's fake."  
  
Stone looked mildly surprised. "I'll kill that Autolycus guy who sold it to me…but, I have one more present for you."  
  
Lydia sighed and impatiently tapped her foot as he dug around in his tunic pockets. Outwardly, she was very annoyed with this boy, but inwardly she wanted to curl up in his arms and kiss him until they both fainted from lack of oxygen. It was so sweet! He got her presents and everything!  
  
Finally, after much searching and muttering, Stone pulled out a small ring. He held it up for the young girl to see, his eyes hopefully searching her face.  
  
A lump caught in Lydia' throat at the sight of the ring. It was plainly pure gold, unlike the oh-so-fake amulet, with silver strands wrapped around it in an 'X' design. On top was a shining diamond shaped like a dragon, gleaming even in the dim forest light. The inside of the band was engraved with the words 'Defiance is the will to succeed; the will to succeed does not always mean defiance' in Egyptian script.  
  
"Oh my gods…Stone, it's beautiful," whispered Lydia in awe.  
  
Stone took her hand and slipped the ring on. It fit perfectly. "Lydia, forgive me? We can go away together for awhile, away from this place. Granted, I'll have to return to the herd in a few weeks, but--"  
  
Lydia yanked her hand back, throwing the ring off. "Go back to the herd? Stone, are you really that crazy? They were prepared to make you watch me die and probably kill you after that! And you want to return to them?"  
  
"It's my obligation. I am a centaur and I need a herd to--"  
  
"No! I'm not going with you! Only half your herd still remains in Greece, yet they seem more important to you than happiness, don't they? Well, you can just kiss my ass, Stone. I'm not going to forgive someone who doesn't know when they need to stop. I wouldn't forgive you if you grew two legs and a man's penis!" It wasn't prejudice against the fact that he was a centaur…it was the sheer anger of an Amazon scorned.  
  
Stone bowed his head as she walked away. He looked at the ring, then picked it up and called her name. When she half turned, he threw the ring to her. She idly let it drop and continued to walk away. Stone let out a sad sigh and wiped away his tears before slouching away in defeat. What he didn't see was Lydia returning to the spot, picking up the ring, and slipping it on her finger tearfully. "I'm sorry, Stone…" she whispered.  
  
  
  
Xena casually snatched up an apple, tossed a small coin to the cart keeper, and took a huge bite out of it, the juice running down her chin sloppily. "Ahh… food," she mumbled with a grin, wiping the juice from her lip with the back of her hand.  
  
Gabrielle, who was already gorging herself on some chicken, politely wiped her mouth with a napkin and gave Xena a disappointed look.  
  
"Sorry, sorry," muttered the warrior, grabbing a towel and cleaning her face to please her bard, which earned her a happy little smile.  
  
Lydia simply sighed and continued to rub the small ring clutched in her hand.  
  
"Hey, ya know if you rub that enough it'll come to life and bite your head off," teased Xena as she continued her assault on her apple.  
  
The young Amazon seemed to be oblivious of Xena's voice and almost ran into a passing Roman soldier. Gabrielle elbowed the warrior in the ribs. "Xena! Don't be so insensitive!" she scolded firmly, flashing Lydia a comforting glance.  
  
"Hey, I'm a woman, too! It's not like I don't know what she's going through!"  
  
The bard mumbled something that resembled the statement 'Yes, you are a woman, but with a testosterone level equal-to but not exceeding a Roman soldier's.'  
  
Xena growled at her blonde lover and shrugged off the comment.  
  
They were about to go into an all-out verbal war when Lydia's loud 'oof' alerted them to some trouble. Turning around, they saw a small boy with dark brown hair perched on top of Lydia's stomach with his dirty little hands resting on her face. "What're you doing to me?" she asked through his fingers as he began to pinch and rub her face roughly.  
  
He simply giggled impishly and bounced up and down on her toned stomach saying 'wee, wee, wee!'  
  
"Ow…ugh…ouch…argh!" The Amazon shoved him off of her rather gently. The young boy rolled a few times, then sat bolt upright and smiled from ear to ear at the girl as if she had just kissed him.  
  
"Timmy, Timmy, where'd you go?!" called a male voice above the murmur of the crowd.  
  
The small boy looked up and shouted, "I'm over here, Daddy!"  
  
Xena put a hand on Gabrielle's shoulder and they pulled back into the bustling streets, far enough so that Lydia could deal with whatever was to come in privacy, yet close enough so that they could jump in if a threat arose. A man broke through a thick clump of people and looked over at the small boy sitting on the ground next to Lydia. "Timmy, there you are!" He swept Timmy into his arms. "I was so worried about you! What did I tell you about running off?"  
  
Timmy gave the man a sad puppy dog face. "I sowwy, Daddy."  
  
Lydia watched as the old man's face softened.  
  
"It's okay, Tim. Were you picking on this pretty girl?" asked the man, gesturing with a wave of his hand to Lydia. "What did I tell you about bothering strangers?"  
  
"No, he was fine. We just collided because I wasn't paying attention," said Lydia, standing up and brushing herself off. Glancing up, he saw the man staring at her with eyes as large as tea saucers. "What?"  
  
"You—your name is Lydia, yes?"  
  
Lydia froze and looked him up and down. "How did you know my name?"  
  
"Don't you recognize me, Little One? It's me, Teraigus. Remember?" whispered the elderly man as he shifted Timmy from one hip to the other.  
  
Lydia closed her eyes as a long-forgotten memory came flooding back to her.  
  
A happy whistling reached Lydia's ears and she moved farther back into the bushes, clutching the tiny bundle in her bruised arms with all her might. The whistling grew louder and a man came over a nearby hill, dragging behind him a horse and cart.  
  
The small girl tried to cover herself from view, but with no avail. As the tall man passed, he stopped and looked at her with a smile.  
  
"Hello there, Little One," he said softly, dropping his horse's reins and cautiously approaching the terrified child. "Where're your parents?" He knelt down on one knee and peered into the brush at her. Lydia sobbed and cowered back, as if expecting him to strike her. "I'm not going to hurt you. Come here." Teraigus held out his arms.  
  
The girl screamed and lashed out at him, but was too scared to run away.  
  
"Okay, forget that approach," mused the man with a gentle grin. He dug around in his saddlebag for a moment, then produced a piece of stale bread, jerky, and cheese. "It's not much, but I haven't come to a town in forever and need to stock up." After holding it out until his arms hurt, the man gently tossed it to the small child.  
  
Lydia's hand shot out and she caught the jerky and cheese in one hand, then the bread by letting it gently drop on the bundle in her arms.  
  
"Watcha got there?" asked Teraigus curiously, mildly surprised at how she had managed to catch the food.  
  
The girl pulled back the blanket wrapped around the bundle in her arms to reveal a small, chubby little face.  
  
"Oh my god… a baby. Little One, do you have parents?"  
  
Lydia shook her head and sobbed again.  
  
"Come here, I won't hurt you," urged the man, holding out his arms. The shivering child collapsed into his embrace and began crying, occasionally saying something in Latin that Teraigus couldn't understand. "It's alright, Little One. I have you."  
  
Lydia opened her eyes, which were filled with tears. "You—you were the one that saved us."  
  
Teraigus grinned toothily. "Yes, that was me. I'd never forget that face, Little One!" He held out his arms and Lydia stepped into his embrace, tears streaming down her face.  
  
"Timmy…I knew I heard that name before! You're my little…" she couldn't finish her sentence, as she broke down and began sobbing happily.  
  
"Yes, he's your brother, Lydia. Come on, let's get you inside."  
  
  
  
Lydia glanced around Teraigus's hut curiously. One wall was covered with shelves holding all kinds of toys; from little leather balls to papyrus dollies. The other wall, also occupied by shelf after shelf, held various items from around the world. Lydia recognized a rice doll from Japa and some horned helmets from Scandinavia, land of the Vikings.  
  
"Quite a collection I've got, huh?" asked Teraigus as he watched her gaze around.  
  
"I've never seen so many different things in one place. When did you find the time—and money—to get all this stuff?" asked the Amazon in awe.  
  
"You'd be amazed what you can accomplish as a merchant, Little One. Took me eight years, but I traded everything I had with me to get all these. They're my pride and joy, besides your brother and you of course," said the old man with a grin.  
  
Lydia smiled back and hugged him tightly. "I'd forgotten you, Teraigus. I'm sorry for that. You saved our lives."  
  
"Those danged Hittites ruined thousands upon thousands of lives that night, and you were part of a handful who got away. I was just lucky that I came across you before a Hittite scout did," he said bitterly. "But enough reminiscing in the past, what have you been up to these days?"  
  
"Beat up the famous Warrior Princess, fell in love, got kidnapped by some centaurs…ya know, the usual Amazon stuff," said Lydia with an impish grin.  
  
Teraigus laughed heartily. "Is that so? Well, your brother is learning how to read, write, and even speak a little Gaelic. I know for a fact that you have many different dialects stored in that brain of yours, am I right?"  
  
Lydia nodded. "Oh yeah. You'd be surprised what an Amazon can learn in her free time. Let's see, I know Gaelic, Latin, Greek, some Chinese, Japanese, and just a tad of Egyptian."  
  
"Quite a list you got there. When I found you, the only language you would speak was Latin, until I turned you over to the Amazons. Then you began speaking Japanese to one of their warriors from that region."  
  
Lydia lowered her eyes. "Why did you leave me with them? Not that I'm not grateful, the Amazons are great… but I just wanna know."  
  
Teraigus sighed. "Well, when I first found you I had recently lost an entire fortune in a bet… so I was low on money. I didn't have the means to provide for two children, and as time progressed I decided that a boy would be easier for me to raise. Being the oldest of seven boys, it just seemed second nature to me to take care of Timmy. So I left you with the only people I knew would take care of you--the Amazons."  
  
  
  
Xena kissed Gabrielle behind the ear. "We did it, Gabrielle. She's found her past."  
  
The bard laughed and kiss Xena back. "Yes, we did. Now all we have to do is figure out where to go from here."  
  
TEN YEARS LATER  
  
Xena sighed and reined an old, skin-and-bone Argo. Giving her partner an impatient look, she sighed again. "Why am I suddenly having déjà vu, Gabrielle?" called the aged warrior.  
  
Gabrielle pulled her horse to a sudden halt. "I'm telling you, Xena. Just a few more trips from here to Macedonia and I'll have him as calm as a kitten." She gestured to her aging white stallion.  
  
"Remember that kitten we got that scratched you up when you tried to hold it? And, for the record, you said that all it needed was a little lovin' and then he'd be as sweet as sugar."  
  
The bard glared at her warrior. "Not funny. That little kitten was just scared of my sais!"  
  
"How many times have we had this conversation in the past ten years?"  
  
Gabrielle laughed and planted a light kiss on Xena's cheek. "A ka-jillion times. Now come on, we haven't seen the Amazons in eight whole years." As the two approached Amazon borders, five sentries dropped from the trees and gruffly ordered them to halt.  
  
"Who are you and what reason do you have for being on Amazon lands?" asked the leader, who was wearing a wolf mask.  
  
"My name is Xena of Amphipolis, this is my wife, Gabrielle of Potidea. We've come to visit the queen and her champion for awhile," called the warrior. She shifted impatiently in the saddle as the five Amazons took time to converse among themselves.  
  
When the leader removed a mask, Xena bit back a sharp comment. The girl couldn't be a day over twenty, or nineteen at that. "Seeing the queen and her champion is strictly reserved to invited guests of the nation. You don't have an invitation so we cannot allow you to pass," stated the teenager defiantly.  
  
Xena sighed and pulled out her whip. She lashed out with the weapon, grabbing the leader by the ankles and knocking her to the ground. The four other sentries got the same treatment, then Xena proceeded in giving their backsides a good flick. "Now, I have been kicking Amazons' asses since your mother's mother wasn't even conceived so I suggest you don't get in my way again," boomed the powerful warrior. She kicked Argo's skinny sides and the mare hopped over the ailing Amazons, Gabrielle's 'stallion' doing the same.  
  
  
  
Varia exited her hut and held her arms out to her visitors. "Xena, Gabrielle! Long time no see, eh?" she said, giving them both a friendly hug.  
  
Xena shifted to avoid squishing Varia's fragile form. "I see you've been busy…that obligation to give the nation a princess finally catch up to ya?"  
  
The Queen laughed and placed a hand on her swollen stomach, the other on her back. "More like my biological sundial started going off."  
  
Gabrielle laughed and replied, "Yeah, we know the feeling."  
  
"How is Little Cyrene doing?" asked Varia, putting an arm around Gabrielle's shoulders.  
  
Little Cyrene, Gabrielle and Xena's eight-year-old daughter, had been a gift from Aphrodite on the bard's birthday. A combination of them both, the young girl had dark hair and emerald green eyes. She was taller than all her age-mates, with an appetite that kept Gabrielle on her toes. And getting her up in the morning…forget about it. She loved to talk, yet also enjoyed learning about various weapons from Xena. She was currently staying with Eve in Crete.  
  
"Oh, she's a handful. Growing like a tree with the appetite of her Mommy," said Xena with a proud, parental grin.  
  
"Is she now? Well, we'll just have to plant her in the ground so she doesn't get an ego as big as yours, now won't we Xena?" Varia winked at Gabrielle and laughed. "My spine is about to break in half. Would you mind if we took this inside?"  
  
  
  
As Varia settled herself in a cushioned chair, Xena wandered over to the window and looked out curiously. "What're you doing Tall, Dark, and Deadly?" asked the Queen.  
  
"Is that your training field?" asked the aged warrior.  
  
"Yeah. We moved it from the west side of the village to the north side so I could watch the newest trainees without bothering to leave me hut," said Varia amusedly.  
  
Gabrielle sat on a couch next to the Queen and sighed with relief. "Oh, my aching feet!" moaned the bard, propping her feet up on the couch arm. Xena chuckled, then grew quiet and her face went blank.  
  
Varia tilted her head. "What, Xena?"  
  
"Is that Lydia?"  
  
"Yeah, she's the weapons master now and—Xena? Xena? Xena!" called the Queen, watching as the door to her hut bounced a few times before closing. "Okay…"  
  
Gabrielle shook her head and patted Varia's hand. "Don't mind her. She hasn't been throttled in ten years."  
  
  
  
Xena skidded to a halt and leaned on the training fence to get a better look at the weapons master currently out in the training field. That couldn't be Lydia… could it?  
  
The young weapons master wore a brown leather tank top with a dark brown skirt made of strips of leather—an outfit that left nothing to imagination. Attached to her thighs were black harnesses, each holding a sheath containing a Roman short sword.  
  
Her body was now fully developed; it had shaken off the baby fat and replaced it with wonderfully toned muscles that made her presence powerful and commanding. Her silky brown hair hung down to her shoulder blades, currently pulled back into a tight pony tail. She wore traveling boots that made her at least an inch taller and did her calves good. Lydia had undergone the transformation from teen to woman—beautifully at that—and was now champion and weapons master of the Amazon nation.  
  
Xena's jaw lingered somewhere next to her toes.  
  
"…you will perform the drills I set out for you quickly and accurately. Mistakes here are nothing, but mistakes on the battlefield are death. No one will complain, no one will slow their pace. You know no pain, feel no emotion when you battle. Save them for those who won't slit your throats. Ready. Go," ordered Lydia calmly, hands laced behind her back casually. She turned to get out of the way of her drilling Amazons when her deep brown eyes met fierce blue ones.  
  
"Xena?"  
  
The aged warrior grinned and hopped the fence. "How's it going, Lydia?" she called, approaching the young-girl-turned-young-woman with her arms open.  
  
Lydia embraced her longtime friend. "What're you doing here?!" exclaimed the weapons master, holding Xena out at arms' length to examine her. "Last I heard, you became a mother once again, and that was eight whole years ago! Motherhood does you good, though, I'll admit that."  
  
Xena laughed and returned the gesture; holding Lydia out to look her up and down. "Nice leather… but what's up with the twin swords?"  
  
The Amazon drew her swords and twirled them around. "Call it a 'Xena and Gabrielle' mix. Two weapons, like Gabrielle's sais, but they're swords, like yours."  
  
Xena was almost afraid to ask the next question. "You haven't…actually…killed with them yet, have you?"  
  
"Um…actually…yes, I've killed. Four years ago, when I was on sentry duty, my group was jumped by some highwaymen. And, well, blood was spilt," said the young woman nervously.  
  
Xena placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's too bad you lost your blood innocence so young, but I'm not one to talk, now am I? Come on, let's talk over a drink."  
  
  
  
"So Teraigus agreed to live in the centaur village with Timmy?"  
  
"Yep…I visit them every week or so," confirmed Lydia as she sipped from her mug of ale. "But this is the year for us to give the centaurs new brothers and all that crap so I haven't had time to visit them lately."  
  
"Why not?" asked Xena, eyeing the young Amazon as she downed the contents of her mug in one gulp.  
  
"I have to prepare the younger troops to take the place of the warriors chosen to give birth. What was it? Um… I think thirty warriors, forty craftswomen, and one of the healers," said Lydia, snatching another drink from an unoccupied seat.  
  
Xena was getting a little unnerved as Lydia downed that mug, too. "Yeah, I heard that nice little pep-talk you gave your trainees. What's up the harshness, anyway? They couldn't have been any older than seventeen or so."  
  
Lydia held up her hand, signaling for another drink, and turned to Xena with a grimace. "It's all a matter of respect. I don't hurt them, I'd never do that, and I know their limits and they know how far I'll push them so I just drive them a little past that everyday, never beating them up or making them vomit in the bushes."  
  
"Uh huh…and is this out-of-control drinking a usual occurrence?" asked the older warrior in a parental voice as Lydia gulped down yet another mug of hard ale.  
  
"Look, I'm grateful for you taking me aside and showing me my past and all, but I can handle my own problems," said Lydia quietly. She looked at the bottom of her mug with a sigh. "And I know my limits, too." Pushing back her chair, she walked out of the dining hut without another word.  
  
  
  
"…so how's Lydia been? By the expression on Xena's face when she glanced out the window, I can tell she's changed without even looking myself," said Gabrielle as she absent-mindedly stirred her cider with her finger.  
  
Varia sighed thoughtfully. "How can I word this…? She's got wonderful skills, even better than when you last came; and is about the most loyal sister in the nation. But her drinking problem…"  
  
"Drinking problem?" Gabrielle choked on her cider.  
  
The Queen licked her lips nervously before continuing, "She's not a drunk, no. What she'll do is drink four or five mugs of hard ale really quickly, then she'll disappear in her hut and not come out until her trainees are ready to be dismissed."  
  
Gabrielle's heart sank. "How long has she been doing that?"  
  
"For about three years now…everyone's learned to stay out of her way when she gets to drinking."  
  
"Why would she do this to herself?" asked the bard quietly, setting down her goblet. "What happened to all her friends?"  
  
Varia cringed. This was not something she enjoyed talking about. "Three years ago, Tavi, Rita, Amber, and Ling were all moved to a village in Rome when our village was overcome with the winter flu, and Jessie was… um… killed around that time protecting a supply caravan."  
  
Gabrielle's heart sank even more. "So all her best friends are gone?"  
  
Varia nodded timidly.  
  
"Oh gods…the poor girl," whispered the bard, lowering her eyes to her goblet.  
  
When Xena and Gabrielle had left Lydia with the Amazons once again, they had noticed the bond between Lydia and her friends was stronger than anyone would expect. As soon as she set foot in the village, the House of the High Sun girls were there to greet her. They hugged, shed tears, then happily walked back to the village talking.  
  
Later that evening, Xena had witnessed first hand what Lydia would actually do if she had a nightmare. The warrior and bard had slept in the House of the High Sun because it was hailing outside and it was the only house with extra bunks. Xena had slept across from Lydia, in the top bunk, Gabrielle snoring on bottom.  
  
In the middle of the night, Lydia began to thrash and scream. The warrior was jerked out of her sleep and she looked up just in time to see Lydia accidentally scratch herself across the face on the bedpost. Before Xena could even sit up, there were Tavi, Jessie, Rita, Ling, Jessie, and Amber all trying to get her to calm down.  
  
As if drilled, Jessie stood on her tiptoes and removed the crying girl from her bunk, handed her to Rita, who whispered something in Lydia's ear before handing her to Amber, who did the same and gave her to Tavi, who kissed the girl's forehead, then passed her off to Ling. By the time she reached her best friend's arms, Lydia was awake and crying.  
  
"It's okay, it's alright. We've got you now, Little Sister." Ling had whispered, calming the younger girl considerably.  
  
Xena had been awed by the display, but decided not to bother them and quietly watched the display until everyone went back to sleep...  
  
"…and now that's been ruined," thought Gabrielle out loud.  
  
Varia gave her a confused look.  
  
"Never mind… um, Varia, I'm going to go see how Xena's doing, okay? If she's found out as much information as you've told me then she's liable to beat up the trainees, okay?"  
  
"Sure. I'm dead tired anyway," replied the Queen, rubbing the swell of her stomach with a grin.  
  
Gabrielle smiled. "Okay, see ya."  
  
  
  
Lydia dug around inside her bureau drawers until she found what she wanted—a small flask filled with a yellowish liquid. She removed the cork and dumped some down her throat, wincing as the liquid created a fiery path from her throat down to her stomach, where it continued to burn like hell.  
  
"I see you find time for the hard stuff whenever you please."  
  
The Amazon drew one of her swords and turned to face Ares, the business ends resting just above his Adam's apple. "What do you want?!"  
  
"I train you for the last what, nine years and now you show my as much gratitude as your so-called queen did? Tsk, tsk…I'm going to have to punish you for that," he said coolly. With a flick of his wrist, a lightning bolt sent Lydia flying across the room and into the wall. "Score for the one and only God of War! I love having Dad's powers!"  
  
Lydia flipped her hair from her face and touched a hand to the back of her head, glad to see it wasn't bleeding. Ares moved forward and made an upward gesture, which made Lydia rise up off the floor, hanging in midair so that she was eye to eye with him.  
  
"Now, I want you to stay away from Xena. Don't tell her too much about what's been bouncing around inside your crazed mind, alright? Let me handle her," said the god, giving the wall an absently lustful gaze as he thought of the warrior princess.  
  
Lydia glared at him and fought for use of her limbs again. "Let me go, Ares!"  
  
The god let her drop the three feet to the ground with a mocking laugh. "Do as I say! And if you don't, whatever little friends of yours who are still alive are going to get a surprise visit from Celesta!" He disappeared in a flash of purple light, leaving Lydia trying to recover from having the wind knocked from her lungs.  
  
  
  
"Man, Gabrielle, I feel as if this were our fault," said Xena as they settled in one of the royal guest huts. She began to fumble with the laces on her boots.  
  
"Xena, how can it be our fault? These things happen," replied the bard as she swatted Xena's hand away and helped her with the long laces.  
  
"I dunno. I guess it's just me. But you should've seen her. That mischievous little twinkle in her eye…it's gone. She barely even smiles and only talks when she's been spoken to. Something's gotta be up," said the warrior, kicking away her left boot as Gabrielle finished untying it.  
  
"Varia told me that she has a problem that vaguely represents a drinking problem…and she's had it ever since her friends were moved to a Roman village, about four years ago," said Gabrielle quietly.  
  
"Yeah…she was just downing mug after mug in the dining hut and then got mad when I told her she had a problem."  
  
"So what's your plan for an Amazon attitude adjustment?" asked the bard with an impish grin as she began to nuzzle Xena's neck.  
  
"Well, how about we just sit back and wait until something else comes up?" suggested the warrior even as she was being pushed down on the bed.  
  
"Mmm, good idea," whispered Gabrielle as she claimed Xena's lips with her own. She pulled back for a second and traced the warrior's jawline. "You just wanna stay here until the Amazon New Year Festival is over?"  
  
Xena chortled. "You mean one of those drunken Amazon sex parties? You know me too well." Gabrielle laughed and kissed her warrior again.  
  
  
  
A few hours later, Gabrielle emerged from the hut. Xena had long since left to go check out how the trainees were doing. The bard stretched her tired muscles and wandered towards the Mess Hall, hoping to get a light snack without causing too much trouble with the chefs, but a cool, calm voice stopped her.  
  
"I was wondering where you went off to."  
  
Gabrielle turned around and jumped, finding Lydia not two inches away from her. "Lydia!" She moved backwards, sensing something wrong in the girl's demeanor.  
  
"You didn't say 'hi' to me, Gabrielle. I'm hurt." The young woman began advancing on the bard, her twin swords restlessly twirling in her hands. "I know what you and Xena have planned. You think you're just going to swoop down and save me from myself, like you did with Eve. Well, get used to the disappointment, Gabs, 'cause I have better things to do than listen to you preach about goodness and light."  
  
Gabrielle felt a surge of fear as Lydia's eyes flashed almost crazily. "Lydia, don't do this. Don't cross that line…you won't be able to go back." She continued to move slowly backwards and suddenly smelled it. "You're drunk."  
  
"Not drunk, Gab," said the young Amazon, holding up a sword. "I'm just oblivious. Ale really helps make you that way…drives all that pain…and suffering…into oblivion." She lashed out towards the bard.  
  
Instinctively, Gabrielle caught Lydia's wrist and punched the girl, who seemed hardly fazed. "Stop this!" With two swift kicks, she knocked Lydia to the ground.  
  
The Amazon growled, stood, and ran off.  
  
  
  
Xena crouched in the treetops as she watched Lydia train with her twin short swords. The young woman moved as if she were really training with someone…  
  
Lydia's right sword came in a high arc towards Ares, but he jumped out of range. Bringing his sword up to slice her throat. Lydia parried the blow and kicked his legs out from under him, but before she could make the 'finishing move' he disappeared.  
  
The Amazon said something Xena couldn't quite make out from her position.  
  
"Enjoying the show?"  
  
Xena turned around and smirked at Ares. "Still corrupting young girls, Ares? I never would've guessed," she said sarcastically.  
  
"Now, I never said I'm training Lydia, you did. So save all that mushy goody good stuff for someone who cares, okay?" said the god bitterly. "You know it always bothered me that Lydia was never seen for the warrior she can become. I hate to say it, Xena, but she's better than you…in more ways than one."  
  
Xena glared at him. "You didn't."  
  
"Oh, I did. But don't worry, she was old enough for your liking," he said with a mocking little grin. Crossing his arms, he raised an eyebrow. "What do you want?"  
  
"I was about to ask you the same thing."  
  
"Xena, if you interfere with my training of this girl, who has the potential to be a hundred times better than you, I'll kill every last one of your precious Amazons in a huge catalyst. Now, I understand that…Gabrielle is also an Amazon, isn't she?" said the god.  
  
A wave of panic washed over Xena. "You wouldn't dare."  
  
"Care to test me?" challenged Ares. "The first one to die will be Varia and her unborn child, then comes all of Lydia's friends, then Lydia, and then all the Amazons but Gabrielle. Gabrielle I will save for you. You can look into her eyes just before she dies and know that it's all your fault."  
  
"NO!" Xena roared and tried to grab Ares, but he disappeared before she could reach him.  
  
"Remember, Xena, any interference from you or Gabrielle and the Amazon nation is no more," called his disembodied voice, following by echoing laughter that slowly faded away.  
  
Xena glared at the sky, then looked up as the Amazon alarm bugles went off, which meant someone had broken past the sentries and through the village walls. "Not now…" the warrior mumbled as she began to run through the treetops back to the village.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" interrupted a voice.  
  
Xena skidded to a halt on a wide branch and looked Lydia up and down a few times. "Lydia, let me through. I just wanna see what the problem is."  
  
Lydia crossed her muscular arms and shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to say 'no' to that, Xena. We have no use for your services anymore. I can handle it myself, along with the other eight hundred Amazons in our village."  
  
"Please, Lydia, I mean no harm to your reputation. Just let me pass to go back to the village," said Xena quietly. "Come on, don't do this to me."  
  
"Fight me if you want to pass."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said fight me!" boomed the young woman, drawing her twin swords. "Fight me or you don't pass this point!"  
  
Xena gulped and quickly ran multiple scenarios through her mind. Deciding to go with the one that didn't involve bloodshed, she tossed her chakram towards Lydia. The young woman sheathed one of her swords and caught the chakram with ease, but when she looked up, Xena was gone. "Oh no, not this time," she said to herself. The Amazon sheathed her other sword and hooked Xena's chakram on one of the hilts, then began back towards the village.  
  
  
  
Gabrielle came out of her hut and looked around frantically. The older Amazons and in-training sentries were all running towards the front of the village with their weapons. She grabbed an older woman as she passed and asked, "What's going on?"  
  
"There's a man fighting with Lydia at the village gates!" exclaimed the woman before running off. The bard drew her sais and ran with the other women curiously.  
  
  
  
At the village gates, a fierce battle was raging through the trees and almost into the village.  
  
"YAA!" Lydia charged the man before her, twin swords extended. Sparks flew as his sword met hers with an echoing clang. She pushed him back and screamed in rage as she tried to stab him through the chest. He rolled to his feet and turned to face her, only to have the Amazon's elbow collide with his cheek. With a grunt, the man went flying back into a tree. Dazed temporarily, he shook his head a few times before looking up. He thrust his sword out just before Lydia sliced him right down the middle.  
  
Lydia kicked his sword away. "Move! Get up!" she ordered, hitting him with the hilt of her short swords. He dropped his sword and she picked it up, putting away her left short sword to use his. "Come on! Fight me!" She ran at him, ready to slice him to little pieces.  
  
CLANG! Xena intervened, jumping in between the two and stopping the raging Amazon. "Lydia, stop this!" said the older warrior, pushing the girl back. Lydia glared at her.  
  
"Stay out of this, Xena. This isn't your concern," growled the young Amazon, vaulting to her feet. She knocked Xena away with one swift punch and continued to approach her adversary. The man rose and turned one way, stopping just as Lydia's sword embedded itself in the bark just a few inches from his face. Turning the other way, her other sword did the same, trapping him between the two. Lydia moved closer and held the man's sword to his throat. "What're you doing here?"  
  
The Amazons, who had been watching the fight, all began to mutter among themselves. Gabrielle gulped as she recognized the man currently caught between three swords. His hair was longer, his body more developed, but there was no mistaking those blue eyes, those piercing blue eyes…  
  
Stone.  
  
"Answer me!" yelled Lydia, her hands shaking uncontrollably.  
  
"I—I came to see you. Remember what you told me? Well, I've achieved that and I hope you'll change your mind," Stone said with a gulp.  
  
Lydia looked him up and down. Sure enough, he was no longer a centaur, but a full-grown, honest to goodness human man. His sandy blonde hair hung down in his eyes scraggily. He wore no tunic, just black trousers that were a wee bit too big for him.  
  
"How'd you do it?" asked the Amazon coldly.  
  
Gabrielle turned to the Amazons and gestured for them to leave quietly, which they did. No one wanted to be caught in the middle of the weapons master and some scruffy old boyfriend of hers…in fact, no one wanted to be around the weapons master at all when she was in a fighting mood. She grabbed Xena's arm and they quietly departed the scene.  
  
Stone rubbed his arm nervously. "After you left, I went to Aphrodite. I mean, who better to ask about a love problem than the Goddess of Love? She granted me humanity in return for gaining your heart again. Said you'd lost sight of her love so many years ago. Lydia, please, forgive me for all my insane ideas of returning to my herd. I've left them behind. All I want is you."  
  
Lydia pulled her two swords from the tree and sheathed them, tossing Stone his sword as she did. "Okay, here's the deal. I'll convince Varia to let you spend a day in the village and if I see you've really left that herd of yours behind, I'll forgive you. But don't expect anything else."  
  
"I don't. All I hope to achieve is your forgiveness and maybe even change the reputation you've developed over the last nine years," he replied quietly.  
  
"And what would that be?"  
  
Stone took a step closer to her. "That you're a lost, sorrowful young woman who needs nothing more than the comforting arms of someone she loves."  
  
The Amazon chortled. "Is that so? Oh well, at least I have a reputation," she said pointedly. "Come with me. It's not going to be that hard to convince Varia to let you stay."  
  
  
  
"He's my old boyfriend and I want to spend the day with him," said Lydia. That was a total and complete lie she thought bitterly.  
  
Varia thoughtfully looked Stone up and down. "Well, he is worthy of an Amazon warrior, isn't he?" she mused to herself. "Okay, he may stay for awhile. But first thing after the Amazon new year festival, he's out."  
  
"You mean he can stay for the festival?" asked Lydia in disbelief.  
  
"It's not everyday you find a man worthy of the love of an Amazon Weapons Master. So yes, he can stay for the festival," confirmed the Queen, giving Stone another once-over.  
  
Lydia turned to Stone and grabbed his arm. "Come on, let's not bother our queen anymore," she said as she dragged him from the hut.  
  
"Ah, um, congratulations!" called the man before he was yanked out the door.  
  
  
  
"Ares is training her, Gabrielle. Why does he enjoy making my life so miserable?" boomed Xena as she put a cold compress on her bruised cheek. "She hit me! After what we did for her, she hit me! She tried to kill you!"  
  
Gabrielle sighed and tilted Xena's face toward the light. "Well, Xena, I've learned over the years that it's best not to get involved with girls and their ex's."  
  
The warrior angrily shook her head. "What if she had succeeded? What if she had killed the both of us?!"  
  
"Let's not talk of that, Xena. She's a very troubled young woman."  
  
Xena thought for a moment. "You know, she's really grown into a woman. No mistaking that."  
  
"She's twenty-four, almost twenty-five. And still shorter than me," mused the bard to try and lighten the mood, sitting on the bed next to her wife, exhaling slowly. "Too bad she couldn't come to our wedding."  
  
"If she had been acting this crazy at that time then I wouldn't have wanted her to come!…but Varia said she was away on a research expedition in Crete so I guess she had important things to do. Why is she always doing these important tasks?" said the warrior.  
  
"Maybe that's part of why she isn't happy. Never had much of a childhood. And witnessing the death of your parents ain't the most joyful thing in the world, is it?"  
  
"Nope…and I would know," replied Xena as she remembered the image of her dying mother given to her by Mephistopheles. "And on the subject of Ares…he said if we interfered he'd kill off all the Amazons…including you."  
  
Gabrielle cringed and leaned into her warrior. "Then what're we going to do? If he corrupts her to the point of rebellion against Varia…"  
  
"The nation would be helpless because there isn't a warrior that we know of that can defeat her in hand to hand combat, and even if they ganged up on her, Ares would step in and make it so that all of the Nation would be destroyed in his name," said Xena with a sigh. "But he always gives you a loophole because he loves to play mind games…and I think I know what it is."  
  
  
  
"It took me three years to learn how to walk, run, and even a little dance, then I had to figure out how to survive without my herd. Aphrodite helped me with everything. She's really nice, ya know," said Stone, biting into his sandwich.  
  
Lydia gulped down a mouthful of carrots. "Yeah, Gabrielle's told me the stories…" A quick pause. "Stone, really, why'd you come for me? I was a real jerk." She set down her own sandwich.  
  
"No, no you weren't. It was you who showed me just how stupid was. See, before I went to Aphrodite's temple I returned to the herd. Ravius and three other centaurs were the only ones left. They were fighting over who should be leader, then one told me that to prove my worth to succeed Moloch would be to finally kill you. And, frankly, that was it. I told them to go to hell," said Stone with a grin.  
  
Lydia chuckled in spite of herself. "You really did that?"  
  
"Of course. Lydia, I love you." He reached up and pulled on her necklace, which had been buried under her top, and wasn't surprised when he found his ring dangling off the end. "And you obviously know that."  
  
The Amazon jerked away and gulped down a mug of ale. "Um, how about I show you around the village now?" she suggested before grabbing both their plates and quickly scuttling away to wash their dishes.  
  
  
  
Preparations were being made all over the village for the Amazon New Year Festival that would take place as soon as the sun set. Barrels and barrels of ale and port had been brought in every hour on the hour so they wouldn't run out. Locks were being checked and fixed on the doors of the younger Amazon houses so that no one under the age of twenty-one ever got into the festives.  
  
  
  
"You train all the warriors?" asked Stone in disbelief as they walked past the training field. "Talk about a full-time job! How much do they pay you by the hour?"  
  
"Twenty dinars an hour, sixty hours a week," replied Lydia as she watched some older women spar. "Not to mention my own private hut; complete with bathroom  
  
"Sixty hours?!"  
  
"Yeah, but I only work three days a week."  
  
"So you work for twenty hours every workday?"  
  
Lydia almost smiled at the look on his face…almost. "From hours before the sun rises until hours after it's set. I've gotten used to it, actually. Keeps my mind off other things."  
  
"Such as?" asked Stone.  
  
"Paths not taken," she replied with a deep, thoughtful sigh. "Emotional pain…"  
  
"You make twelve hundred dinars a week and regret the path you've taken?"  
  
Lydia shook her head. "It's not that. All my friends are either dead or live in another village nowadays. Work is all I have to keep my mind off that. Come on, I'll introduce you to some acquaintances." She flagged down two passing Amazons, who came over immediately. "Stone, this is Eriska and her wife, Marisa."  
  
Stone smiled and shook hands with them. The couple complemented each other, Eriska with ash blonde hair, pale white skin, and bright gray eyes; Marisa with black hair, dark skin, and soft brown eyes. "Nice to meet you," he said politely.  
  
They nodded their consent and looked to Lydia. "Queen Varia wants you to finish your explanation of why the younger Amazons can't come to the festival. Some of the twenty-year-olds are having problems understanding just why they can't go and are getting an attitude about it."  
  
A sly grin crossed Lydia's face. "Tell her I'm on my way…and are not to be interrupted under any circumstances, do you understand?"  
  
Eriska and Marisa nodded before jogging off to find their queen.  
  
"I guess it's true what they say," commented Stone with a grin.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Us men might as well be invisible for all the attention you pay us," he replied, still smiling. "And it has been the subject of many conversations I've had whether or not you Amazons really marry other Amazons…so I guess that's also true?"  
  
"Yup," answered Lydia.  
  
Stone uncomfortably kicked up some dust. "Out of curiosity, have you ever—"  
  
"Yup. Believe it or not, you didn't give me my first kiss. And I'm not a virgin, either," said the young woman with a wink and a grin. "What is it with you guys and this whole 'oh my god, two women are in love…with each other!' thing anyway?"  
  
Stone chuckled. "I think it's just that we're disappointed that the opposite sex doesn't want—or need—us to survive. Makes us feel useless."  
  
Lydia supplied him with a small grin. "S'That so? Well, then you better prepare for an emotional overload if you want to come to the festival tonight."  
  
  
  
"Stone, I want you to wait outside for awhile before coming in. There are a few things I have to say before they see a man for the first time," said Lydia, pushing Stone up against the hallway wall. "I'll call you if I need you."  
  
"Okay…"  
  
Lydia laughed mischievously and went into a room filled with younger girls, slamming the door behind her.  
  
"Pst! Pst! Hey, Stone!" called a husky voice as soon as she was gone.  
  
The man looked around, then gasped as a hand clamped over his mouth and dragged him into a dark portion of the corridor…  
  
  
  
"I have a question!" called an Amazon at the back of the room that was no older than eighteen.  
  
"Yes?" asked Lydia in a bored tone. She knew some kind of smart-ass remark was revolving around in the head of this younger Amazon.  
  
"Um, what I wanna know is, what's it like to have sex with our queen so you can become the weapons master? Don't you feel any shame?" asked the girl mischievously. She high-fived a few of her friends and everyone began to laugh.  
  
Lydia gave them a pursed-lip smile and replied with a string of obscenities in so many different languages that it would be hard to list them all…but you might not want to hear any of them anyway, so let's just say she said, "You think you're all that, don't you?"  
  
The younger Amazon, whose name was Triennia, glared at the Weapons Master. "At least I'm not a total whore and run-down drunk like you. My mothers are planning to elect a new trainer, you know, since you're such a bad influence on the youth." She continued to glare daggers at Lydia.  
  
"Well, for your information, I've never slept with the queen. She's one of my best friends and has a consort perfectly capable of seeing to her needs. Now, I know the feeling when you're so young and naïve; you feel as if mountains bend just for you, but if you experienced first hand what I saw when I was your age, you wouldn't be laughing," said Lydia solemnly.  
  
"Oh yeah? All that 'research expedition' crap was bogus. I bet you never even left Amazonia borders!" stated Triennia, standing up and approaching the older Amazon. "And that bull crap about traveling with Xena? All of it's bogus!"  
  
Lydia simply waited until the younger Amazon was up in her face yelling curse words, then drew her short swords and shoved them up for Triennia to see. "Do you see these?!" yelled the weapons master. "These are covered with the blood of hundreds of men! I don't tell many people this because Varia told me to keep it on a need-to-know basis, but that research expedition? It was a mission to protect Amazon lands from destruction! Everyone in this room owes their lives to the women who died protecting their nation!"  
  
Triennia shook her head. "Bull."  
  
"Sugar, you are this close to getting kicked out of the nation and I'm not joking," warned Lydia, holding up her thumb and forefinger with a little space in between. "Now take a seat and you're hereby banned from all festivals until you're my age. Maybe then you'll have learned a little respect."  
  
"I'll take a seat as soon as you give me proof you actually did all those things."  
  
Lydia grabbed Triennia by the tunic collar and lifted her from the ground. In a whisper so quiet that only the younger Amazon could hear, the weapons master whispered, "Did you know that there is no Roman Amazon tribe? Every single one of my friends are dead. Varia just didn't want me to find out. If you really want proof, go visit the graves of your fallen sisters!" She hurled the girl across the room and into some chairs. "Anyone else?"  
  
The entire room was now sitting straight up with their hands crossed on the desk obediently.  
  
"Didn't think so. Now, I know you want to join the festival like all the rest of us, but Varia believes in high morale for the Amazon nation, and it wouldn't do to have someone as young as you girls participate in such a shameless event. Even some of the older women don't partake in it because it's just a big Amazon orgy. Does anyone else need more of an explanation?"  
  
Her 'class' shook their heads, watching as Triennia groaned and removed herself from a the pile of wood and debris she had created.  
  
"Good…then you're dismissed. Oh, and Triennia, clean that up before you leave," said the weapons master as all the younger Amazons cleared out.  
  
  
  
"Wow! You were great! That girl was really asking for it!" exclaimed Stone as they left the House of the High Sun. "But you showed her, eh?"  
  
"She had an attitude that needing some major adjusting and humiliation is the best remedy for that, isn't it?" said Lydia with a smile. It felt so good to smile, and she had done more of it in the last few hours than she had in five years…  
  
Stone laughed and put an arm around her shoulders. "You're a wonderful, beautiful woman."  
  
Lydia looked up at him in surprise. "Where'd that come from?"  
  
"Do I have to have a reason to say that? Lydia, I have never witnessed such a powerful, commanding presence other than Xena and Gabrielle's. And after all you've been through…it doesn't show how much pain you've felt," he whispered, wrapping his other arm around her waist. "Lydia, I'm so sorry for what I did. Please, forgive me."  
  
Lydia looked into his eyes as tears began to form in hers. "Oh, Stone, I'm the one who should be sorry! I should've forgiven you so many years ago! Now all my friends are dead and I have no one and it's all my fault!"  
  
Stone shook his head and hugged her close, sensing she had needed a good cry for years and years now. "It's alright, Lydia. You're not alone. You've got Varia and Xena and Gabrielle…and me. And how could it possibly be your fault that your friends died?" he asked, wiping away some of her tears.  
  
"Once, when I went away to visit my brother and adoptive father in the centaur village, they were all on sentry duty and caught the winter plague from a passing caravan. When I returned a few weeks later, half the nation was sick and/or dying. Varia lied about them, said they were still alive, but in truth they'd been the first to go. I figured that out when I overheard her talking about the fact that there was no Roman tribe…"  
  
"How could it be all your fault? They were on duty and happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."  
  
"Because I usually have that duty by myself. It should've been me that caught the plague, not them!" cried Lydia.  
  
Stone placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "No, no, it's not your fault at all. It was an accident that you could do nothing about. Come on, don't cry."  
  
"I've needed a good cry for awhile," mused the young woman as she went limp in his strong embrace. "Thank you for coming back, Stone."  
  
"Lydia, stop training with Ares."  
  
The Amazon pulled back and looked at him intently. "How did you—"  
  
"I have my sources. Look, he's no good. Aphrodite said that whenever he trains a warrior she always ends up with a death count like Xena's. Please, don't let him corrupt you," pleaded the man, leaning down so that their faces were only inches apart. "He's ruined so many lives…don't take part in it."  
  
Lydia looked into his soft eyes and all her resolve melted away. "Okay." She pulled a small amulet from her pocket. "This is a 'present' from him to me. Said that if I ever wanted to throw away my spot as his chosen, all I had to do was bury it." She bent down and dug a small hole, then put the amulet inside and filled it.  
  
Stone smiled and leaned forward to kiss her. Their lips made contact, then there was a flash of bright light and Stone went flying back.  
  
"You little son of a bitch!" shouted Ares. He turned to Lydia. "And you. I could've made you the most powerful warrior on the earth."  
  
Lydia shook her head. "Xena has been kicking your ass for years. What could I possibly learn from you?"  
  
Ares roared and punched her across the face, sending the Amazon flying back to land on top of Stone. "Fine! Live happily ever after like the sniveling coward you are! But don't you dare come crawling back to me!" He disappeared with an angry flash of red light.  
  
Stone looked up at Lydia, whose small frame was sprawled across his taller one. "Hmm…this isn't how I planned it, but okay." Lydia laughed and kissed him, something she had longed for the moment he set foot in the village.  
  
"I see you two have made up," teased a husky voice from above them.  
  
The two looked up and saw Xena towering above them, arms crossed across her chest.  
  
"Nothing happened!" exclaimed Lydia. "Remember the last time we had this argument? Well, I'm still telling the truth!"  
  
Xena chuckled and shook her head. "Come on, ya turtle doves, we have a drunken Amazon party to get to."  
  
  
  
Lydia laughed drunkenly and almost fell out of her seat, spilling hard ale all over Stone. She sat back up and gave him a mischievous smile. Xena looked at Gabrielle out of the corner of her eye and winked.  
  
"Oops…looksss s'like ya gotssssome of this wondethful's ssstuff on ya. Let me help ya," giggled Lydia as she leaned forward. Stone's eyes flew open as the young Amazon began to lick the ale from his chest.  
  
"Um, Gabrielle, how about a nice dance?" suggested Xena to her wife, who was even more drunk than Lydia. The bard nodded and fell from her chair with a laugh. Xena helped her up and they disappeared in the sea of drunken, horny Amazons.  
  
"Oooooo, gods!" moaned Stone as Lydia continued to lick his chest. He stood up and Lydia pushed him into a nearby hut, pinning him against the wall as she pressed her body into his.  
  
"You like that? I like it, too," she whispered in his ear, then proceeded to nibble on his neck.  
  
  
  
"We did good, huh?" asked Xena of her somewhat sobered bard.  
  
"Yup. Now all we gotta do is make it through Cyrene's teen years."  
  
Xena groaned.  
  
"Ooh, me likes that sound."  
  
The warrior gave her bard a crooked grin. "You do, huh? I like it when you make me make that sound," drawled the brunette.  
  
Gabrielle grew flustered. "Wanna get a room?"  
  
"Yep. We can finish saving the world later. Let's go," said the warrior quickly, sweeping her bard off the dance floor.  
  
  
  
The next morning, half the village had a massive hangover. The training field was missing their weapons master and no one was cooking breakfast. The babysitters were on double-duty taking care of the young Amazon girls, and if you looked hard enough, you could see that the giant mud puddles in the village square were filled with unconscious Amazons.  
  
Varia exited her hut and shook her head. "And I missed it all, too," she muttered miserably. "Oh well…at least I have half a village to tease and tsk." Evil, sinister thoughts began to form in her mind as she waddled—yes, the Queen of the Amazons does waddle when required—across the village towards a certain hut.  
  
  
  
Xena groaned as the door to the hut opened and a very perky-looking Varia pranced in. She looked down at the blonde head snoring on her bare stomach and grimaced as her temples began to throb furiously.  
  
"Good morning!" chirped Varia as she opened the drapes. "I've fixed a wonderful breakfast just for you this fine morning."  
  
Gabrielle moaned and opened one eye to glare at the queen. "Ooh, I'm going to hurt you," mumbled the bard, covering her head with the blankets.  
  
Varia cackled evilly. "Tsk, tsk, tsk…did someone have too much to drink last night? Why, I'm surprised with you two! I thought you knew better than that!"  
  
"Veeery, funny. You're lovely, Varia. Now just go the hell away," said Xena desperately.  
  
"Not before you have your breakfast!" She clapped her hands and two young Amazons came in carrying two trays chock-full of food. "Toast, runny eggs, bacon, and your favorite: hard ale."  
  
Xena groaned and pulled the covers over her head as well.  
  
"Aww, you don't want it? That's too bad. Well, I have to go bother the rest of my Amazons who have hangovers, so I'll see ya," piped the queen as she skipped out the door.  
  
Gabrielle looked at Xena under the covers. "Should we kill her?"  
  
"Nah…wait until she gives birth to that little version of her. Then we'll kill her."  
  
  
  
"I'm serious."  
  
"No way."  
  
"Really!"  
  
Lydia laughed and fingered Stone's smooth chest. "There's no way."  
  
Stone chuckled. "I saw it with my own two eyes. Caesar came out onto his balcony and was looking all royal and junk, then he tripped over a rumple in his rug and fell flat on his face. I thought the audience was going to die laughing--literally, because the guards started beating up on us to get us to stop laughing. The big guy ended up breaking his nose."  
  
"And you didn't laugh?"  
  
"No! I thought they'd kill me if I did," replied Stone, kissing her slightly sweaty forehead.  
  
"They probably would've," said the Amazon with a grin. She rested her head on his chest and sighed contentedly.  
  
"Well, come on. We gotsta get up before your oh-so-pregnant queen gives me the boot," said Stone as she climbed from the bed.  
  
Lydia eyed his naked body with a sigh. "No," she whined, "I want to stay in bed all day with you!"  
  
"That's a very enticing offer, but Varia said—"  
  
"Forget what Varia said. Come back, I'm cold!" pleaded Lydia, hanging onto his hand and poking out her bottom lip. Stone sighed and climbed back into bed with her. "See? Isn't that comfortable?" she asked, snuggling against his side.  
  
Stone chuckled in spite of himself. "I dream about you for ten years then find out that you're so much better than my dreams…shows what I know."  
  
"Hmm…well, I guess you'll just have to live with it, huh?" she teased, putting her forehead against his.  
  
"Yup…I guess I will." He leaned in to kiss her, but she ducked under the covers and slipped out of bed.  
  
"Un-uh, mister. You want me, you're gonna have to get me!" taunted the Amazon, pulling on her clothes with one hand and lacing up her boots with the other.  
  
"Don't you dare get dressed! I'm going to get you!" warned Stone as he threw on his pants and began to move towards her. "Come 'ere, you!" He hurled himself across the bed, but Lydia moved out of the way and broke into a run towards the door. "Oh, no you don't!"  
  
Lydia burst out of her hut and began giggling and screaming uncontrollably as Stone came barreling after. "You can't get me, Stone!" she called, heading towards the training field.  
  
"Oh yeah?"  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
Stone chuckled as he picked up his pace, slowly closing the distance between them. Lydia hopped the training field fence and Stone did the same, landing right behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and then both went down into the dust. "You let me catch you."  
  
"Of course I did!" she replied with a giggle.  
  
The young trainees all turned and stared at the two, expecting their weapons master to cut off his head or something. Lydia rolled over on top of Stone and wiped the dust from his lips before kissing him deeply. A series of cat calls erupted from the Amazon trainees, causing Lydia to jump to her feet in embarrassment. She blushed and looked at her toes as Stone stood next to her.  
  
"Come with me for a second," he whispered in her ear, nibbling on her earlobe mischievously.  
  
Lydia squirmed. "Okay," she replied, pulling away from him.  
  
"I can't believe you're ticklish on your ears," teased the man as he swept her off her feet.  
  
  
  
Stone finally set Lydia down as they reached the forest tree line. He kissed her softly, whispered, "Do you love me?"  
  
Lydia was a bit taken back. "What?"  
  
"Do. You. Love. Me," said the man, emphasizing each and every word with a kiss.  
  
The Amazon looked into his eyes and smiled. "Yes. I have loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you."  
  
Stone smiled and knelt down on one knee, pulling a ring from his pocket. Holding it up, a happy grin broke out on his face. Lydia gasped, placing a hand over her racing heart. The band of the ring was molded from silver and gold, twisted together in a braid-like design. On top perched a gigantic diamond shaped like an 'L' hooked around an 'S'. And, like the first ring, there was an inscription on the inside.  
  
"'All the darkness in the world couldn't douse the fire of one soul,'" Lydia read out loud.  
  
Stone, crawling on his hands and knees, bent down and kissed her feet. "Please." He moved up to kiss her knees. "Marry." He kissed her navel. "Me." Then he kissed just below her breasts and wrapped his arms around her hips, standing up on both knees and hugging her close. "Do I have to go any higher?" he asked mischievously.  
  
The Amazon laughed. "Stone, get up." She glanced at the Amazons who were giving her funny looks as they passed by the couple.  
  
"Please, please, please!" he whined, pressing his ear into her stomach as he hugged her even harder.  
  
"Yes, Stone, I'll marry you," said Lydia with a giggle. They both looked up as clapping reached their ears. Lydia's jaw dropped and Stone stood up, the blush creeping up from his neck.  
  
It seemed the half of the Amazon nation who either didn't have a hangover or had minor hangovers, were applauding them. Xena and Gabrielle were even mixed in there, Xena whistling and Gabrielle just smiling. Lydia waved at them and then looked up as Stone kissed her, creating even more applause and some catcalls, courtesy of Xena and Varia.  
  
THE END  
  
1.2 Did they live happily ever after, you ask? Well, let's just see…  
  
Tavi popped the cork off a bottle of ale, laughing as it sprayed everywhere. She poured herself, Rita, and Ling some then downed her glass. "Damn, that's good."  
  
Lydia snatched away the bottle and gave her friend a disapproving look. "Don't do that! You know Xena has a fit whenever Cyrene tries to find out what that tastes like. And then I'll get blamed because she knows it does no good to yell at you guys."  
  
Rita laughed and patted her longtime friend on the back. "Motherhood becomes you, Lydia," she said with a grin.  
  
Lydia sighed and looked down at the small bundle in her arms. "So I've been told."  
  
"Aw, come on! Party with us! It's your wedding reception, for gods' sake!" said Ling, holding up a goblet of wine.  
  
"Nope. Can't drink until little Stone Jr. here stops breast feeding so nah!" She stuck her tongue out at her friends.  
  
Tavi snatched the baby from Lydia's arms. "Hello there, ya little bugger. Is your Mama taking good care of you? She better or your Auntie Tavi's going to teach her a lesson."  
  
Stone Jr., or just Junior for short, giggled and flailed a wrist in the Amazon's face.  
  
"Oh, feisty one, ain't ya? Yup, your Mama was like that, too. Until she met your daddy and got all soft and lovey dovey."  
  
Lydia took her baby back and placed him in the crook of her arm. "Don't listen to a word she says, Little One. Your Daddy saved me from myself one more than one occasion."  
  
Stone came over with Timmy behind him. "How's it going ladies?"  
  
Tavi scoffed. "Your wifey-poo here is just scolding us for spraying the room with bubbly."  
  
"Uh huh, well, if you don't mind, I'd like to borrow her for a second."  
  
  
  
THE AUTHOR WOULD LIKE TO INTERRUPT  
  
Okay, hold up. At this point you're probably wondering what the heck I'm talking about, right?  
  
Right.  
  
Well, to make a long story short, Aphrodite, with new control of the Amazon Land of the Dead, decided that Lydia and Stone needed something special for their wedding gift…and poof! She brought back Ling, Tavi, Rita, and Jessie. Okay, so it was a leeetle more complicated than that, but you don't want to hear the long version. It's boring.  
  
I promise you, ya don't want to hear it.  
  
Anyway! Where we were? Lydia was scolding her friends…Stone comes up…ah, here we are!  
  
  
  
"Sure, but don't take too long. We'd have to take Junior from ya if you did," said Ling with a wink. "Get! Hurry! Go!"  
  
Timmy stepped closer to Ling, casually leaning against the long table. "So, Ling…do you—"  
  
"No."  
  
"Not even—"  
  
"No."  
  
Timmy opened his mouth to say something, but was cut short with yet another firm 'no'.  
  
Lydia laughed as Stone led her away. "What?" she asked as they reached a more private corner.  
  
"Give him to me."  
  
The ex-Amazon handed Stone their son and gave him a confused look. "What's so urgent that you have to take our son?"  
  
"Come on, we can get outta here if we run! Let's go!" he urged, tugging on her hand.  
  
Lydia chuckled but refused to move. "Stone, you know we can't do that. Just a few more hours, I promise. Then we'll be on a boat ride for Africa and all alone…well, alone as we can be on a passenger ship with a two-month-old baby."  
  
Stone sighed. "Okay, you're right. Can I have a kiss before you go and hang with your girlfriends?"  
  
The young woman gave him a light kiss and patted his cheek. "Remember, just a few more hours…" she reminded as Stone handed Junior to her.  
  
"Right…"  
  
"You can last."  
  
"Right…"  
  
Lydia shook her head with a smile as she headed back over to her friends. Jessie grinned mischievously as she approached. "What did the guy want?"  
  
"To run away and never come back," replied the younger woman sarcastically.  
  
Tavi chuckled. "Did you know that Ling finally agreed to go out with your brother?"  
  
"What?" asked Lydia, choking on her cider.  
  
"He finally got to her. Made 'er laugh. I dunno how he did it, but right now they're on their way to the nearest theatre," said the blonde Amazon, crossing her hands behind her head.  
  
At this point, Junior began crying and Lydia announced that he was hungry. Her friends, knowing this was one of Lydia's more private times, excused themselves from the table as Stone approached.  
  
"I knew it was almost feeding time," piped the man, setting in a chair next to his wife and newborn child.  
  
Lydia smiled down at their son as she covered him up with a blanket, leaving his pudgy little face peaking out. The tiny baby had scruffy blonde hair, alert brown eyes, and a birthmark on his hand shaped like a half-moon (remember? just like Lydia's). Even though all he ever did was eat, sleep, dirty his diapers, and be cute, he was plainly taking after Stone in personality in the way he always smiled and never minded being crooned over by a roomful of strangers.  
  
The infant looked up at his parents and gave them a milky smile. He then hiccuped, eliciting a smile from his mother. "You are your father's son," she said quietly, placing a soft kiss on the baby's downy head.  
  
Stone curled around his family and kissed Lydia's temple. "I guess this is where this story comes to an end, huh?"  
  
"Yup…and I love stories that end with happily ever afters."  
  
THE REAL END  
  
Questions? Comments? Complaints (which will be dealt with accordingly?) Send them all to QTPIECHKA@aol.com please ( Thanks a bunch! 


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